Arkansas was elite in the second half putting away Oakland 92-62. However, it was another tale of two halves, a consistent theme throughout the season.
Arkansas is no stranger to struggle in the first half of games. Even though they put up 42 points in the first 20 minutes, they let Oakland hang in there shooting 55.2% from the field. Oakland even took the lead 33-31 with 3:37 left in the 1st.
Turnovers continue to be a problem for the Hogs as they coughed up 8 turnovers in the first half with an abundance of errant passes. Paint defense was also an issue as there were poor communication and rotations allowing the Golden Grizzlies to get easy baskets.
The bright spots of the first half were Adou Thiero and Karter Knox. The former scored 16 points to go along with 3 rebounds and 3 assists, while the latter scored 10 points and was perfect from the field.
The Razorbacks came out of the half locked in on both sides of the ball. The defense looked more cohesive and more active forcing 8 turnovers and holding Oakland to 23 points on 25.8% from the field in the second half.
It was the Boogie Fland show on offense as it seemed like he couldn't miss. He scored 21 points in the second going 8-9 from the field and an incredible 5-5 from behind the arc. It was one of the most impressive offensive performances in a single half that you will ever see in a college game.
Arkansas starts conference play on January 4th as they take on the number one ranked Tennessee in Knoxville. They will need to be locked in from the start in this tough road matchup.