NEW YORK — With its back against the wall, Arkansas basketball rose to the occasion and secured its first signature win under John Calipari at the Jimmy V Classic.
The Razorbacks (8-2) trailed by 15 points in the first half, but they didn’t fold under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden. Instead, they rallied for their most impressive result of the season, an 89-87 win over No. 14 Michigan (8-2) on Tuesday night that serves as the signature victory to this point of the John Calipari era.
The Razorbacks escaped by the skin of their teeth. A jumper from Roddy Gayle Jr. at the buzzer that would have sent the game to overtime hit the front of the rim and fell harmlessly to the floor.
After losses earlier this year to Baylor and Illinois, Arkansas needed this win for its resume and its morale. Now, Arkansas can look forward to continued improvement across the upcoming SEC schedule.
Here are three observations from Arkansas’ win over Michigan.
Arkansas basketball set the tone after halftime
The Razorbacks began the second half with a 12-0 run that secured an eight-point lead and put Michigan on the ropes. That dominance eventually snowballed into an 18-point advantage.
Arkansas asserted itself with physical play and a focus on getting out in transition. Easy baskets for Michigan suddenly disappeared, and the Hogs controlled the paint. It also didn’t hurt that the Razorbacks shot 41.7% on 3-pointers in the second half.
Things got dicey at the end. Michigan cut the deficit to one point with 1:28 remaining. Arkansas did not execute down the stretch, but it did just enough, and the initial burst out of the locker room proved to be the difference.
Boogie Fland shines in homecoming
The Bronx native scored a game-high 20 points and dished out seven assists Tuesday night. He ran the show as Arkansas’ point guard and was a dynamic sorcerer.
Fland played a critical role in the Hogs’ comeback efforts in the first half. He had 13 points across the first 20 minutes and sparked an Arkansas rally that cut the halftime deficit to just four points.
However, it would be remiss to pour praise upon Fland and not point out the heroics of his backcourt mate, DJ Wagner. The sophomore made six straight shots at one point in the second half and finished with 16 points. If those two play like this more often, Arkansas can start to inch torward its potential.
Jonas Aidoo has his best game as a Razorback
It’s been a slow, injury-plagued start to Aidoo’s career with the Hogs, but the big man was an imposing presence down low against the Wolverines. In addition to his strong defense, Aidoo finished with 11 points and seven rebounds.
The Hogs need this version of Aidoo for the remainder of the season if they want to compete in the grueling SEC, which begins with a road trip to Aidoo’s old school, Tennessee.
