Davis, Council lead Arkansas to 81-70 victory over Texas A&M

Fayetteville, Arkansas – Tuesday night, Arkansas defeated Texas A&M 81-70 thanks to 19 points from Davonte Davis and 19 points from Ricky Council IV.

For the Razorbacks, Davis made 4 of 8 attempts from 3-point range (15-7, 4-5 Southeastern Conference). Council also contributed four assists and six rebounds. Off the bench, Jordan Walsh finished with 12 points and 7 rebounds. Anthony Black contributed 11 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds. Makhel Mitchell finished the game with nine points, 13 rebounds, a season-high seven blocks, and one fewer block than in his career.

The Aggies (15-7, 7-2) were led by Henry Coleman III and Wade Taylor IV, who both scored 18 points. In the previous 35 home games against Arkansas, the Aggies had only won one. For his fourth double-double of the year, Coleman also added 15 rebounds and 4 steals. With seven rebounds, five assists, and 17 points, Tyrece Radford contributed.

With Council scoring 11 points, Arkansas led 42-34 at the break. Early on, the score was tied three times. With 13:45 left, Davis made a 3-pointer to give the Razorbacks a 13-10 lead, and they never trailed after that.

To start the second half, Mitchell and Council made back-to-back baskets, giving the Razorbacks a double-digit advantage.

With 12:37 remaining, Radford made a 3-pointer to bring the Aggies within 52-47. With little under 11 minutes left, Davis finished off an 8-2 run for a 60-49 advantage with a 3-pointer, a 3-pointer from Walsh, and a layup from himself.

At the 7:52 mark, Davis made a 3-pointer to give Arkansas a 66-53 lead. The Aggies have never been down so much in an SEC game before. With 4:10 remaining, Texas A&M utilized an 11-2 run that included five free throws, a three-pointer by Coleman, and a layup by Dexter Dennis to close the gap to 68-64.

With 3:45 left, Walsh converted on a rebound to give Arkansas a two-possession lead. After that, neither team scored again until Council made two free throws with 1:36 left to give Arkansas a 72-64 advantage. The Aggies’ Wade Taylor IV responded with a 3-pointer, but Arkansas hit 7 of 12 free throw attempts after that to secure the victory.

Texas A&M, which entered the game making 18.7 free throws per game, second in the country, only made 14 of their 24 attempts.

In the all-time series against the Aggies, Arkansas is up 108-58.