There might have been a little carryover from Arkansas's loss to Baylor on Saturday in tonight's game. The first half against Troy was perhaps the sloppiest the Hogs have played this season, yet somehow, Arkansas still won by double-digits, 65-49.
The Razorbacks couldn't make a bucket to save their lives in the first period. They attempted seven more shots than Troy but landed one less basket, averaging 29.4 percent from the field and 18.2 from deep. And despite having a significant size advantage, the Trojans outrounded Arkansas 25-15. Luckily, defense wasn't an issue, as the Hogs were only down by one point going into halftime.
The one thing that feels different about John Calipari's team compared to Eric Musselman's is the halftime adjustment. Under Muss, Arkansas came out of the locker room exactly the same, if not worse than before it went in. In every game this season, Coach Cal's team has started the second half on fire. Tonight was no different.
Three minutes into the second half, Arkansas began a 22-7 run that lasted seven minutes and nine seconds, making nearly 90 percent of its shots. The defense finally started to turn into offense, scoring 16 points off turnovers — double the amount the Hogs scored in the first half. Arkansas finished with a 42.9 shooting percentage, thanks to a 63.6 percent second-half performance.
Zvonimir Ivisic and Adou Thiero led the team in points with 19 a piece. Big Z found his range against, knocking down 6-7 three-point attempts. The Croatian native also had five blocks and three steals, going along with his three-pointers.
Fland had an "off night" by his standards, scoring 12 points but led the team in assists and tied for second in steals. Unfortunately, he also led the team in turnovers with four.
Arkansas doesn't play again until Monday, November 18, against Pacific. This is good, considering the Razorback's front court was light, with Trevor Brazile and Jonas Aidoo sitting out the second half to nurse injuries. Hopefully, the break provides the big guys enough time to rest up before the Hogs take the court again.