Arkansas Defense Forces 26 Turnovers; Defeats Mississippi State 61-45

By Bennett Solomon

The Arkansas Razorbacks (14-5, 6-4 SEC) beat the Mississippi State Bulldogs (10-9, 4-6 SEC) 61-45 Tuesday night in men’s college basketball. The win snapped a six-game losing streak for the Razorbacks against the Bulldogs.

Tonight’s Top 3️⃣

3️⃣ @Vanover_Connor CV FOR THREEEEEE 👌
2️⃣ You know the deal casual @justinsmith3_ fastbreak slam!
1️⃣ @jtate_the_great Uncle Tate doing what Uncle Tate does! pic.twitter.com/aXlpY0jmlz

— Arkansas Razorbacks Men’s Basketball 🐗 (@RazorbackMBB) February 3, 2021

Mississippi State began the game on a 16-3 run, but Arkansas quickly countered with a 25-6 run of their own. This allowed the Razorbacks to take a 28-22 lead into halftime. Despite the early defensive struggles, the Razorback defense halted the Bulldog offense for most of the game, forcing 26 turnovers and causing the Bulldogs to shoot 31% from the field.

Four Razorback starters scored in double figures, with forward Connor Vanover and guard Moses Moody leading the way. Both players scored 13 points, while Vanover added eight rebounds and three blocks.  Forward Justin Smith notched a double-double, scoring 10 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

Offense and defense. @Vanover_Connor was a difference maker tonight.

13 pts | 8 rebs | 3 blocks | 2 steals pic.twitter.com/HQ9CWRB2t4

— Arkansas Razorbacks Men’s Basketball 🐗 (@RazorbackMBB) February 3, 2021

For the Bulldogs, forward Tolu Smith led the team in scoring, notching 10 points and grabbing five rebounds.

The Razorbacks will next take on the Texas A&M Aggies (8-7, 2-6 SEC) Saturday while the Bulldogs will face South Carolina (4-6, 2-4 SEC) on Saturday, as well.