Elite Marksman: Hogs Engage in a Wild Finish Epic Battle With Aggies
Arkansas managed to salvage a 78-77 victory over Texas A&M in the last seconds, their first SEC victory, even though the game had already spiraled out of control.
Aggies player Wade Taylor IV scored his 39th, 40th, and 41st points of the game with 14 seconds remaining with the Razorbacks leading by two, giving the Aggies their first lead of the game with 7.6 seconds remaining. With only a little bit of time remaining, the Hogs’ standout player of the evening drove directly to the hoop to win the game.
Six minutes remained, and Davonte “Devo” Davis extended the advantage back to 10 with his second field goal of the game. Before Davis was sent out for kicking a teammate and receiving a flagrant 2 foul, Arkansas appeared to be headed for its first conference victory.
With 1:39 remaining, Taylor who had been leading the Aggies the entire second halfโrefused to give up. His three-pointer, which he hit with a defender in his face, trimmed the Aggies’ advantage back to four points while they were behind seven. Taylor (who else?) went right to the hoop to level the game at 74 and erase a 20-point first-half advantage after Jeremiah Davenport was fouled while attempting to grab a rebound, forcing him to make two free throws.
The Razorbacks were able to turn the tide without accomplishing anything especially noteworthy after Arkansas supporters had grown weary of the team’s poor beginnings. Arkansas jumped off to a 15-3 lead after a Keyon Menifield triple prompted Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams to waste a fast timeout. The Hogs were able to hold the Aggies scoreless for the opening four minutes and without a field goal for the first 5:30.
The Hogs defeated Texas A&M 30โ10, although the Aggies didn’t stop having no rhythm and frequently threw up airballs. Meanwhile, Davenport’s back-to-back triples incited a smaller audience inside Bud Walton Arena.
The Aggies started the game 0-for-14 from outside the arc, while Arkansas shot over 50% in the first half, making it seem as though the two teams had exchanged places. After defeating top-10 Kentucky on their own court on Saturday, the Aggies appeared disoriented and listless. After 15 attempts, the Aggies eventually made a three, but Arkansas had a 46-32 advantage.
After the half, Wade Taylor, the top player for the Aggies, scored five points in a short span of time, cutting the Razorbacks’ advantage to single digits for the first time since 12-3. It was Arkansas’ turn to go cold from the field, with just one field goal in the opening seven minutes of the second half.
Old habits reappeared. With ease, Taylor pulled the Aggies back to within striking distance.The Aggies were immediately within four, 50-46, after a three-point play (the traditional method) and his second triple of the game.
The majority of the Razorbacks’ points were scored at the free-throw line, when both sides received several foul calls. Despite going over eight minutes without a field goal in the second half, the Hogs managed to hold onto a six-point lead at 60-54. This was due to a second half in which the Hogs shot 18 of 26 from the foul line in the last 20 minutes of play, with 50 fouls committed by both teams.