Record Shooting Night Propels Razorbacks to Win
COLUMBIA, Mo. — To put it simply, that was the best shooting performance by an Arkansas men’s basketball team in SEC play.
Ever.
The Razorbacks shot 62.7 percent from the field – a program record in an SEC game – to defeat Missouri 94-61 at Mizzou Arena on Tuesday night. The 33-point victory was the largest margin of victory by a Mike Anderson-coached Arkansas team in SEC play.
Moses Kingsley led the Razorbacks with 24 points on 8-for-8 shooting from the field and 8-for-10 from the charity stripe. It was his second perfect shooting performance of the season, as he became the first player in program history to have multiple 8-for-8 or better shooting games in his career.
Dusty Hannahs stayed hot from his career-best performance on Saturday afternoon, adding 20 points on 8-for-10 shooting, including 4-for-5 from beyond the arc. With the victory, Arkansas improved to 3-1 in the SEC for the first time since 1998.
Following an unforgettable performance from three-point land against Mississippi State, the Razorbacks got things going early from inside. Arkansas shot 17-for-22 from inside the arc in the first half, on its way to a 46-34 lead at the break. It was the ninth time in 16 games that the Razorbacks scored 40-plus points in the first half, but Mizzou kept it close by making 14-of-17 foul shots in the first 20 minutes.
Still, following a lights-out opening frame, the Razorbacks kept on draining shots in the second half. After shooting 64.5 percent in the first half, Arkansas responded by shooting 60.7 percent over the final 20 minutes. Although the Tigers cut the Razorback lead to 51-44 with 16:40 left, the visitors proceeded to go on a 27-4 run to break the game wide open and then cruised for the rest of the contest.
Hannahs made 3-of-3 treys in the second half, while Anthlon Bell drained both of his attempts from beyond the arc. Fresh off being named SEC Player of the Week, Bell scored 12 points on 5-for-11 shooting. With his two three-pointers, he now sits at 199 for his Arkansas career.
Meanwhile, it was a storybook homecoming for Columbia-native Jimmy Whitt. The freshman from Hickman High School had a career-high 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting in only 20 minutes of play.
QUICK HITS
• The Razorbacks shot (37-for-59) 62.7 percent from the field – a program record in an SEC game.
• The 33-point victory was the greatest winning margin by a Mike Anderson-coached Arkansas team in SEC play.
• With the win, the Razorbacks improved to 3-1 in the SEC for the first time since 1998.
• Arkansas handed the Tigers their worst home loss at Mizzou Arena and scored the most points (94) as a visitor since the venue opened for the 2004-05 season (via @Steve_Walentik).
• The starting five of Durham, Hannahs, Bell, Miles and Kingsley made its third-consecutive start as the Razorbacks clinched their third-consecutive victory.
• Arkansas had two players with 20-plus points in a contest for the eighth time in 16 games this season.
• Kingsley became the first player in program history to have multiple 8-for-8 or better shooting games in his career.
• With 24 points, Kingsley has scored in double figures in all 16 games this season.
• Kingsley led the team in rebounds, while Durham led the team in assists, each for the 15th time this season.
• Kingsley is one of four payers in the nation with three or more games of 22 points and four blocks.
• With two three-pointers, Bell now sits at 199 for his Arkansas career.
• The Razorbacks shot over 60 percent from the field for the third time in 150 games over the Mike Anderson era.
• Arkansas shot over 50 percent from beyond the arc for the fifth time in 16 games this season. They had done so five times in the previous 63 games, dating back to Dec. 7, 2013.
UP NEXT
Arkansas continues its two-game road swing, traveling to Baton Rouge to battle LSU on Saturday, Jan. 16 for a tip 7:30 p.m. on SEC Network.
