Any bad adjective will do.
Tennessee basketball faltered in its first SEC contest of the season, falling in ugly fashion to Arkansas, 86-75. The No. 19 Vols posted a dreadful 12-for-23 afternoon at the free-throw line, turning the ball over 14 times to seal their fate. Bud Walton Arena proved a factor for the No. 18 Razorbacks, a group that got massive production from its stars in Fayetteville.
Amari Evans led the way on the scoreboard for Tennessee (10-4, 0-1 SEC) on a career day, posting 16 points and a trio of steals on a perfect outing from the field. Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Nate Ament accompanied him with double-digits in the scoring column despite tough afternoons.
Darius Acuff Jr. exploded for Arkansas (11-3, 1-0) with 29 points, tallying four assists. Three other Razorbacks finished in double figures.
Vols tail off after quick start
When head coach Rick Barnes envisions an ideal start for his team on the road, a 7-0 run would likely fit right into the category.
Bishop Boswell kicked the scoring off with an open triple, followed by a pair of fastbreak buckets from Gillespie and Felix Okpara. The hot start drew a premature timeout from Arkansas’ head coach John Calipari.
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame resident must’ve delivered a message worthy of his accolade in the break, his guys coming out of the sideline huddle with a 9-0 run of their own. Standout freshman Acuff Jr. powered the Razorbacks’ outburst, tallying a quick six points to give his team the lead.
The boxing match had begun.
Evans enters
While most would’ve predicted Saturday’s freshmen battle to feature Ament and Acuff Jr, a different new arrival made his presence known during his first SEC half.
While Ament struggled to get going, Evans helped the Vols’ offense stay afloat in the latter part of the opening 20 minutes, beginning his afternoon a perfect 3-for-3 from the field. In front of a fellow Pittsburgh-area native in Calipari, Evans snatched a pair of steals in only nine minutes of action.
Ament finished the first half with just three points, attempting only a pair of field goals. He characterized a rough stretch for Tennessee as the charity stripe, hitting only one of his four free throws. The Vols went 2-for-8 at the line in the half and sat with a one-point deficit as they headed to the locker room.
Carrying it over
Evans proved in a hurry that his first half wouldn’t be a flash in the pan.
He kicked things off with a steal, the all-around guard converting for a layup, and his first triple in the moments following. The freshman continued to bring life to the Vols’ offensive attack, aiding his guys along in matching the Razorbacks blow for blow.
It would come down to the stretch run, a fitting resolution for what will often be the norm in conference play.
Free throws fatal
Tennessee’s worst case of sloppiness came at the charity stripe.
From the opening tip, it became clear the Vols would need to overcome their free-throw issues to find a way to survive in enemy territory. Arkansas didn’t waste its chance at the line, converting 29 of 33 attempts.
From the 9:44 mark of the second half to the 6:11 point, the Razorbacks found nine points at the free-throw line alone, a back-breaking sequence that made up an 11-0 run to give the home team a solid cushion.
An 8-0 Arkansas’ run acted as the dagger in the closing minutes, and Tennessee’s self-inflicted mistakes loomed large.
The Vols will welcome Texas for their SEC home opener on Jan. 6.
