Don’t let the final score fool you, the No. 16 Arkansas basketball team was in an absolute fight against Northern Iowa, despite coming out on top 93-80 Nov. 17 at Bud Walton Arena.
The Panthers, hailing from the Missouri Valley Conference, just couldn’t miss from behind the arc, netting nearly 50% of their 3-point attempts.
It shouldn’t be too much of surprise, NIU is exactly the kind of mid-major that can make some noise in a March Madness tournament with elite-level shooting from beyond the arc.
The Hogs were up 79-78 with 2:42 left in the ball game. Arkansas had to use a 14-2 run to end the game and get the win.
The Arkansas basketball team nearly got more than they could handle against Northern Iowa
The Panthers looked like the Midwestern version of the Golden State Warriors, hunting for and making a ton of their three-point shots.
Senior Trae Berhow, in particular, did the most damage against the Hogs. The 6’5″ guard did his best Steph Curry impression, going 7 for 11 from three this game. He finished with 23 points and 6 rebounds.
It’s no secret that the Hogs have had trouble with defending the three-point shot this season, as our Max Hoover pointed out in his most recent article.
Arkansas struggled without the leadership of Devo Davis after he was ejected for a flagrant-2 at the top of the second half. However, newcomer Chris Lykes picked up the slack in his absence. The 5’7″ transfer senior erupted for 26 points off the bench.
Sophomore Jaylin Willimas had one of his best performances as a Razorback, flirting with a triple double. He stuffed the stat sheet with 11 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks and a steal.
Six of the eight players that saw playing time tonight for the Razorbacks were in double figures.
This is a great win and shows the Hogs can persevere in tough situations. No one lost their cool, despite being tested by a smaller program. The team kept their heads down, listened to Coach Musselman and finished the job.