Razorbacks Run Out of Gas Against Georgia

Razorbacks Bright Spots

Despite the double digit loss, there were still a few bright spots the team can build upon moving forward. A few players stood out with their scoring contributions, and the team as a whole showed tremendous fight for the last 30 minutes game time.

Desi Sills

Sills has found his role with the team as he once again came
off the bench against Georgia. Whatever mental switch is flipped between
starting and coming off the bench is working for Sills. He came into the game
and immediately hit too massive threes to give the Razorbacks offense new life.
He scored a career high 21 points on 62% shooting. He made as many field goals
as both Mason Jones and Isaiah Joe, on less attempts than either of them. Just
as impressive to me was his tenacity on the boards. Measuring at 6’1, the
stand-alone shortest player on the roster, Sills lead the team in defensive and
total rebounds. He finished with six boards which, in all honesty, is not a
ton, but it was two more than the Razorbacks’ starting center, Adrio Bailey
(4).

Joe & Jones

The Razorbacks star backcourt of Isaiah Joe and Mason Jones
have become household names for anyone who keeps up with SEC basketball. Joe
started the year on many draft boards and remains in NBA talks with his lengthy
frame and pure shooting stroke despite missing several games due to injury.
Jones on the other hand has been a Cinderella story of sorts as he came from un-recruited
out of high school to finishing in likely the top 3-4 of the SEC POY race.

The duo showed us what some of the hype was about against
Georgia. After a slow start from the team as a whole, Joe and Jones accounted for
26 points each on a combined 50% shooting from the field. Their 52 total points
included five triples on 33% shooting and a perfect 15/15 from the free throw
line. Jones left the game late due to an apparent leg cramp and/or injury.
However, Joe never gave up the fight as he hit multiple difficult shots off the
dribble in the final desperation moments of the game. They weren’t able to get
it done in this one, but Hog fans everywhere are eyeing their remaining years
of eligibility.

Game of Runs

As was stated earlier in the article, Georgia started the
game on a blistering pace. They jumped out to a 14 point lead before the Hogs
scored a single point and led by as many as 18 in the first half. However,
instead of folding or panicking, the Hogs finished the first half on a 21-11
run to cut the deficit from 18 to 8 heading into half time. In fact, Mason
Jones went on a mini 5-0 run of his own to open the second half and cut the
lead to only 47-44. The Hogs looked like they had all the momentum, finally figuring
out Georgia’s offense and weaknesses on defense. They would hang around,
fluctuating from being down four points to down 11.

They stayed just within striking distance until they made
another surge late in the game. After going down 71-60 with 10 minutes left,
the Hogs poured on a 12-2 run to cut the lead to 73-72 with 6:30 on the clock.
Unfortunately, this would be as close as they would get. They traded buckets,
hovering right around a 3-5 point deficit until about 2:00 remained in the
game. Mason Jones left the game with a noncontact injury that looked like a
severe leg cramp, and Isaiah Joe was unable to weather the storm on his own.
Despite trailing 85-84 late in the game, the Hogs proved to be outmatched as
they fell 99-89 in Athens.

Razorbacks Tournament Hopes Getting Slimmer

This loss was demoralizing for Hog fans, as it could very
easily be the nail in the coffin for their tournament hopes. Their only
sure-fire shot at the big dance is of course winning the SEC Tournament. The
team is now in a position where they must win every game up until at least the
semifinals of the SEC Tournament to have a legitimate shot at an at-large bid.
Since the Florida loss, I’ve been predicting that the Hogs need to get to 21-22
wins to have a chance on Selection Sunday. This number is still very attainable
as Arkansas currently sits at 18 wins with two games left. Wins against LSU at
home and Texas A&M on the road would have the Hogs poised for an SEC
Tournament run for their lives.

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