FAYETTEVILLE — Playing its first game in a week, the Arkansas basketball team showed no rust Saturday.
The Razorbacks opened with a 12-3 run and were never threatened during a 95-67 victory over North Carolina A&T at Bud Walton Arena.
Arkansas (10-2) won its fifth consecutive game and played for the final time before Christmas. Players were dismissed to go home for a five-day break following the game and the Razorbacks are not scheduled to play again until a Dec. 30 home game against Oakland — the final nonconference game of the regular season.
“We’re about to get a nice little five-day break, so we’re going to enjoy that,” Arkansas forward Trevon Brazile said on the Razorback Sports Network postgame radio show.
Brazile and Jonas Aidoo gave Arkansas solid minutes and a dominant performance near the rim for much of Saturday's game.
Aidoo had 7 points, 3 rebounds and 3 blocked shots before the first media timeout to spark the early run. He finished with season highs of 17 points and 11 rebounds in 22 minutes.
Aidoo has scored 41 points to go with 22 rebounds and 7 blocks over the last three games against Michigan, Central Arkansas and North Carolina A&T.
Arkansas coach John Calipari estimated the 6-11, 240-pound forward is about 80% of full speed as he continues to work his way back from a preseason foot injury.
“It makes us different,” Calipari said. “You saw the physical play at the rim.”
Brazile added 11 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks and 3 assists in 27 minutes.
“TB is playing well,” Calipari said. “You’ve got TB and Aidoo, and you notice today I tried to play that big lineup some because that may be something that we do.”
In the first half Arkansas outscored North Carolina A&T 32-14 in the paint, out-rebounded the Aggies 24-17 and had 12 second-chance points on 7 offensive rebounds.
The Razorbacks increased their lead between each media timeout of the first half and led 54-31 at halftime. Arkansas led by as many as 37 points in the second half.
“I thought we had a good first half,” Calipari said on RSN. “The second half was a little shaky, but when you’re up 25 to 30 and it’s Christmas break, to think they’re going to play 20 more minutes…they did good.”
Seven Razorbacks scored in double figures. Adou Thiero scored 14 points in 20 minutes after missing last Saturday's game against UCA with the flu.
Boogie Fland scored 12 points to go with 11 assists. Karter Knox scored 11, and D.J. Wagner and Billy Richmond had 10 apiece.
Zvonimir Ivisic (8 points) was the only Arkansas rotation player to score less than 10.
Arkansas shot 50% (37 of 74) with 26 assists and 6 turnovers.
“How about this? We had 15 assists and 1 turnover at halftime,” Calipari said.
The Razorbacks were 6 of 24 from three-point range and made 15 of 19 free-throw attempts.
“The great thing to me was we only made [6] threes and we scored a lot of points,” Calipari said. “It just shows you there’s all kinds of ways of doing this. You don’t have to shoot 35 threes and make 12.
“What I say is we’re the kind of team that if we make 9, 10 or 11 threes, we’re in pretty good shape. We should be able to hold somebody to a number that we can win the game.”
Arkansas held the Aggies to 36% (27 of 75) shooting. The Razorbacks blocked 9 shots.
“Do you see how big they are? And how athletic they are?” North Carolina A&T coach Monte Ross said. “That makes it very difficult for us with that type of athleticism. It poses real problems.”
North Carolina A&T (3-10) lost its eighth consecutive game. The Aggies were led in scoring by Marion native Ryan Forrest (19 points) and Fayetteville native Landon Glasper (16).
“They’re going to do fine in their league,” Calipari said on RSN of the Aggies, who were predicted by league coaches to finish 10th in the Colonial Athletic Association. “They’ve got a couple of Arkansas kids who are making us all proud.”
Why Arkansas Won
The Razorbacks took good shots and were dominant near the rim in the first half to build a big lead.
Player of the Game: Arkansas F Jonas Aidoo
The Tennessee transfer recorded his first double-double as a Razorback by recording 17 points and 11 rebounds to go with 3 blocks, 2 assists and 1 steal in 22 minutes.
Aidoo missed was limited early in the season, but has shown over the past few games the potential that caused him to be voted preseason All-SEC.
“I’m finally getting my way back right now,” Aidoo told SEC Network after the game.
Whoa, Nelly!
The Razorbacks played the game without guard Nelly Davis, who sat out with soreness in his shooting wrist.
Davis is averaging 9.9 points per game and has battled a wrist injury since the preseason.
“Nelly’s wrist, let’s step off the gas here,” Calipari said. “Let’s see if we can get this thing feeling better and go from there.”
Up Next
Arkansas is scheduled to host Oakland on Dec. 30 at 7 p.m.
The Golden Grizzlies are 3-7 going into the Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu, where they are scheduled to play Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
Oakland defeated Kentucky 80-76 in Pittsburgh, Pa., during the first round of the NCAA Tournament last season in Calipari’s last game coaching the Wildcats.