Arkansas Associate Head Basketball Coach David Patrick and his team used a 17-0 run to end the first half and a key 10-0 run in the second half to win their first NCAA Tournament game since 2017 with an 85-68 victory over Colgate in the First Round and Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Justin Smith was incredible, leading Arkansas with a career-high 29 points – going a career-best 11-of-13 at the free-throw line – and 13 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the year and fourth in the last 11 games. He tied his career-high with five steals and added two blocked shots to become just the second player to record 29-plus points, 13-plus rebounds, 5-plus steals, and 2-plus blocks in an NCAA Tournament game, joining Kansas great Danny Manning in the 1988 championship game versus Oklahoma. (Manning had 31 points, 18 rebounds, 5 steals, and 2 rebounds.)
Colgate entered the game second in the NCAA in scoring (86.3 ppg) and seventh in field goal percentage (.498) but was held to 18 points below their average (68 points) and 101 percentage points below their shooting percentage (.397).
During the 17-0 first-half run, Arkansas held Colgate scoreless for the final 5:28 in the first half, holding the Raiders to 0-of-8 shooting). In the decisive 10-0, second-half run, Arkansas held Colgate scoreless for 3:41.
Five Arkansas players scored in double figures with SEC Sixth Man of the Year J.D. Notae adding 14 off the bench. Jalen Tate had 17 points, seven rebounds, and four assists with just one turnover. Davonte Davis and Moses Moody each scored 12. Davis added six rebounds, three assists, and two steals (back-to-back possessions) to start the 17-0 run.
Arkansas forced 22 Colgate turnovers, the most for the Raiders since 2016, and allowed just seven second-choice while outscoring Colgate by 14 points in the second half.
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