Baylor quells Arkansas basketball's second-half rally

It wasn't the outcome that Arkansas basketball hoped for, but there are many positives to take away from the game, along with the negatives in Arkansas's 72-67 loss to Baylor.

The fact that Arkansas battled back after the way it started was outstanding. The Razorbacks went into the locker room down by nine. Their answer to start the second half was an 11-2 run to tie the game in the first four minutes. Arkansas found a way to break Baylor's zone defense enough to outscore the Bears in the final 20 minutes.

Part of that equation was Adou Thiero. Earlier this week, I wrote that we shouldn't be surprised to see him take over a game. However, I didn't know it'd be that quick. Thiero went 6-8 in the second half for 14 points, including a significant three-pointer that jumpstarted Arkansas's run at the top of the period. He finished with 24 points, six rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and a steal.

On the other hand, the Razorbacks take too many threes. And instead of finding ways to bust Baylor's zone in the first half, they passed the ball around the perimeter and jacked up Hail Marys. Johnell Davis hasn't hit his stride yet, and it probably involves his wrist injury. For a shooter, that's an important part of the mechanics. One positive note is that Boogie Fland had better luck from deep, leading the team with three treys for 60 percent.

When Arkansas did get into the paint, they did little with the basketball. Zvonimir Ivisic — who has been instrumental all season and preseason — was a shell of himself. Trevon Brazile and Jonas Aidoo were bullied in the paint by Baylor's bigs. The Bears outscored Arkansas 38-28 in paint points without nearly the height or length.