Texas A&M Aggies at Arkansas Razorbacks

Barford's 16 points leads Arkansas past Texas A&M, 86-77

Jaylen Barford scored 16 points, 10 in the second half, to lead Arkansas (21-7, 10-5 Southeastern Conference) to its second win over the Aggies this season. It's the second time the Razorbacks have won four straight SEC games this season, the first time they've done that twice separately in conference play since the 1997-98 season.

The win was also Arkansas' 10th straight over Texas A&M (14-13, 6-9) in Fayetteville, and it came at a perfect time for a school desperate to improve on only one NCAA Tournament appearance in coach Mike Anderson's first five seasons.

"I think we're playing with a lot more confidence, the ball is moving more, playing better defense, rebounding better and just playing as a team," Barford said.

Arkansas overcame a 12-point second-half deficit to defeat the Aggies 62-60 in College Station last month . This time around, the Razorbacks only trailed in the opening minutes and used a strong finish from Barford to hold off a late challenge.

After leading by as many as nine points in the second half, Arkansas saw its lead cut to 69-67 with 4:34 remaining.

"I think that's the beauty of our basketball team, that on any given night it could be certain guys," Anderson said. "But for (Barford) to do it in crunch time, that says a whole lot about him."

Five players scored in double figures for Arkansas, with Manuale Watkins finishing with a season-high 13 points. Daryl Macon added 12 points off the bench, while Dusty Hannahs had 11 and Moses Kingsley finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Tyler Davis scored 21 points to lead the Aggies, who shot 50.8 percent (31 of 61 percent) in the loss. Admon Gilder added 17 points for Texas A&M, while Robert Williams had 16 and Tonny Trocha-Morelos 10 in the loss.

Despite the hot shooting, the Aggies were unable to overcome 17 turnovers that led to 21 points for Arkansas.

"The second half, it got a little faster to where we did break the press and got some layups, but that was kind of fool's gold," Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy said. "They got us playing faster than we wanted to."

BIG PICTURE

Texas A&M: After advancing to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 last season, the Aggies' hopes for an NCAA return have been reduced to winning the SEC Tournament. They have now lost three of their last four games, all of which have come on the road.

THOMPSON'S IMPACT

UP NEXT

Texas A&M hosts Alabama on Saturday.

The Razorbacks are at Auburn on Saturday.

How can I watch Texas A&M vs. Arkansas?

• TV Channel: Texas A&M at Arkansas 2021 College Basketball, week 16, is broadcasted on SEC Network.
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