FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.- Central Arkansas (2-2) lost to Arkansas (3-1) 79-66 on Friday despite a nine-point second-half run that cut a 15-point deficit to six. Central Arkansas scored 39 points after halftime after being held to 27 in the first half, and the Bears outscored the Razorbacks 39-36 in the second half.
Cole McCormick's dunk and Harrison Beauchamp's 3-pointer helped Central Arkansas move in front early, and
Ty Robinson's jumper at 16:04 gave the Bears a 7-6 lead. Arkansas scored 11 straight points, moving ahead 17-7 before
Luke Moore scored inside at 12:13. After Arkansas stretched the margin to 26-9, Central Arkansas got 3-pointers from Beauchamp,
R.J. Young and
Simm-Marten Saadi and later cut it to 37-26 on Young's jumper with 1:50 left. Arkansas closed the half with 3-pointers at :52 and :08, while Moore added a free throw for Central Arkansas as Arkansas led 43-27 at halftime.
Malchiah Marable started Central Arkansas's second-half scoring with a layup, and Moore added two early baskets inside, but Arkansas pushed its lead to 53-35 at 15:49. Central Arkansas cut into the margin with perimeter shooting, getting 3-pointers from Harrison Beauchamp and
Camarion Bead around a Moore jumper to trim Arkansas' lead to 55-48 at 12:13. Arkansas rebuilt the cushion to 66-51, but Central Arkansas put together a nine-point stretch that included a McCormick 3-pointer and ended with McCormick's layup at 5:13 to make it 66-60. Arkansas answered down the stretch, and Central Arkansas finished the game with late baskets from
Simm-Marten Saadi in a 79-66 loss.
Harrison Beauchamp
- 14 points
- 4/9 3-pointers made
- 3 assists
Luke Moore
- 12 points
- 3 steals
- 3 assists
- 1 block
Ty Robinson
- 5 assists
- 5 rebounds
- 2 steals
Cole McCormick
- 9 points
- 5 rebounds
- 3/4 field goals made
Up next, the Bears travel to Stillwater, Okla., to face Oklahoma State on Monday, Nov. 16, at 7 p.m.
