The Arkansas Razorbacks took on the Michigan Wolverines at Madison Square Garden as part of the Jimmy V Classic. The Michigan Wolverines came into this matchup ranked number 14 in the recent AP Poll, while Arkansas remains unranked, trying to build their resume for the Top 25.
In the first half, the Wolverines jumped out hot to start the game, and before you knew it, Michigan held a 15-point game with six minutes left in the half. The Razorbacks would respond and cut the lead to just four as the half ended with the score of 49-45 in favor of Michigan. Both teams shot relatively well from the field. The Razorbacks shot 51 percent, while the Wolverines shot 61 percent. The difference in the first half would be the three-point shooting, as Michigan shot 58 percent and Arkansas shot 38 percent from downtown.
In the second half, it was a totally different story. Arkansas had the dominant stretch this half. They had a lead as big as 18 with nine minutes left in the game. The Wolverines clawed back into the game and made it a one-point game with just over a minute left to play.
As the game went into crunchtime, the Wolverines would have their chance to take the lead with 30 seconds left in the game after a pair of missed free throws from the Razorback’s Trevon Brazile. On the next play, Trevon would make a crucial block to prevent the Wolverines from taking the lead. Trevon would go back to the free throw line after his block and rebound, but this time, he would make one of the two free throws to go for the Razorbacks to take a two-point lead with under 15 seconds to go. The Wolverines would fail to tie it at the end of the game as Roddy Gayle Jr. missed the turnaround jumper.
The Razorbacks won the offensive shootout 89-87. Freshman standout Boogie Farland led them with 20 points and New Jersey native D.J. Wagner with 16 points.
“I like my team, we just got work to do… but we got a high ceiling, we got a high ceiling we really do,” said coach John Calipari when speaking on his team’s performance.
Michigan head coach Dusty May spoke to the media after the game about what his team needs to improve on to win tough games.
“We need to control the turnovers and the defensive glass much better if we’re going to be able to win these NCAA tournament-type games,” said May.
