WASHINGTON, D.C. - Arkansas dug itself into too deep a hole Sunday afternoon, and Virginia made sure it stayed there.
A 19-7 surge to close the first half gave the Cavaliers the cushion they needed in a 91-72 win over the Razorbacks in the Capital Showcase. Virginia’s five starters all finished in double figures, and the home team controlled the opening 20 minutes before the teams played the second half to a 45-45 draw.
The Cavaliers’ balance showed up everywhere. They piled up 18 assists, forced 15 Arkansas turnovers with 11 steals, and got a double-double from preseason Player of the Year candidate Thijs De Ridder, who finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Sam Lewis also scored 16.
Arkansas had its own top-end production, but not enough of it early. Preseason Player of the Year candidate Jordan Smith Jr. led the Razorbacks with 19 points and four steals.
Billy Richmond III added 11 points and seven rebounds, tying his career high with three blocked shots. Maper Maker also blocked three shots, and Cooper Bowser matched Richmond with seven rebounds.
The Razorbacks actually opened the scoring when Miikka Muurinen hit three free throws, but Virginia quickly settled in. After the Cavaliers built a 10-6 lead, Arkansas responded with a 7-2 run, sparked by the second unit, to move in front 13-12. Davion Thompson scored twice during that stretch.
That was as good as it got for Arkansas in the first half.
Virginia answered with a 5-0 burst to retake control at 17-13, then kept pressing. Arkansas trimmed the margin to 27-20, but the Cavaliers finished the half with that decisive 19-7 run, including an 8-0 spurt, and went into the break up 19.
Johann Grunloh led Virginia with 11 first-half points, while Chance Mallory added 10. Smith Jr. and Thompson paced Arkansas with six apiece.
The shooting numbers told the same story. Virginia went 5-of-14 from 3-point range in the first half and 7-of-8 at the line.
Arkansas was 1-of-8 from deep and 6-of-13 at the stripe. The Razorbacks also had just one assist against seven turnovers before halftime.
The second half looked much different. Arkansas matched Virginia point for point after the break, shooting 6-of-11 from 3-point range and 5-of-5 at the line. Jeremiah Wilkinson and Muurinen combined to go 5-of-9 from beyond the arc in the period, with Wilkinson hitting 3-of-5 and scoring 11 points and Muurinen going 2-of-4 for eight.
Arkansas also moved the ball better after halftime, finishing with nine assists in the second half, four from Richmond. But Virginia still won the battle on the glass in the period, 16-15, including 10 offensive rebounds to Arkansas’s five. Sam Mewis led the Cavaliers with 11 second-half points.
Arkansas started Jordan Smith Jr., Jeremiah Wilkinson, Billy Richmond III, Miikka Muurinen and Cooper Bowser. Virginia won the opening tip, and Maper Maker was the first Arkansas reserve to enter at 17:23.
The loss dropped Arkansas in the series, with Virginia now holding a 5-3 edge in eight meetings. It was also Arkansas’s first game in Washington, D.C.
The matchup carried a homecoming feel for Smith Jr., a D.C. native, and Bowser, who is from nearby Woodbridge, Va.
Arkansas returns to Bud Walton Arena for two home games, hosting Robert Morris on Wednesday, Nov. 11, and Central Arkansas on Friday, Nov. 13. Both games are set for 7 pm and will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
In Other News...
Arkansas Has A Real Shot To Back Up The Early Hype
Arkansas has spent the opening stretch of its season looking every bit like a team that plans to stay in the national conversation, not just visit it. Exhibition wins over ranked Gonzaga and Memphis have fed the early buzz around John Caliparis group, and even with Virginia on deck, the Razorbacks are already being talked about as a legitimate championship contender if the pieces keep coming together.
The matchup with Virginia offers a good early test of whether that hype can hold up under pressure. Caliparis track record gives Arkansas a steady hand in big games, Jeremiah Wilkinson brings real scoring upside, and the Razorbacks have the kind of athletic and physical edge that can tilt a night like this if they use it well. The question now is whether all of that translates when the games start counting for real. [Read more 🡒]
Calipari Has Built An Arkansas Pipeline Few Programs Can Match
John Calipari has long leaned on relationships as much as reputation, and at Arkansas that approach has helped create a family tree of sorts. Several players he coached at Memphis eventually had sons who came back through his later programs at Kentucky or Arkansas, with names like DJ Wagner, Billy Richmond III, Adou Thiero and Ayden Kelly all fitting into that broader pattern. It is the kind of continuity that matters in recruiting, where familiarity can shorten the distance between first contact and real interest.
For Arkansas, the appeal is obvious: trust built years earlier can carry over when a new generation starts making its own decisions. Still, those decisions remain individual ones, and the family ties are only part of the equation as Calipari continues to work the recruiting trail. The connections may open the door, but they do not close the deal on their own, which is why the Razorbacks keep benefiting from the relationships without being defined by them. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Suddenly Has A First Half Problem It Must Solve Fast
Arkansas walked into halftime staring at a 46-27 deficit against No. 9 Virginia, a jarring turn for a team that needed a sharper opening stretch in a high-profile matchup. The Razorbacks did get some help from the bench, with Davion Thompson and Abdou Toure providing offensive support, while freshman guard Jordan Smith Jr. was quieter on that end but still made his presence felt defensively.
Foul trouble added another layer to the first-half mess, with Virginias Thijs De Ridder and Arkansas Miikka Muurinen both getting caught up early. For Arkansas, the challenge in the second half is obvious: find a way to steady the offense without giving up ground on the other end, because the margin is already thin enough to make every possession feel urgent. [Read more 🡒]