The Arkansas basketball team is on a roll again. After a blowout loss to Kentucky on Jan. 23, the Hogs won their third straight game Thursday night, and their second straight SEC road game, beating Georgia 72-68. It is the first time Arkansas has won back-to-back SEC road games in almost 4 years.
Courtney Fortson scored 27 points on 7-12 shooting, including 12-16 from the free throw line to lead the Hogs to victory.
Arkansas looked terrible in the first half. The Hogs shot just 34.6% in the opening period, and trailed by 15 points at the break.
The Hogs were able to force the tempo, and a lot of Georgia turnovers in the second half with a smothering press. The Bulldogs were only able to manage two field goals in the first 10 minutes of the closing period. The Hogs opened the half on a 25-8 run, and took their first lead since the opening minutes of the game on a Michael Washington dunk with 11:25 left, 47-45.
The Hogs outscored the Bulldogs 50-31 in the second half and shot a blazing 64% from the floor. The Hogs also outrebounded the Bulldogs 31-28 in the game.
The win brought Arkansas’ conference record to 4-3 on the year, good enough for a tie with Mississippi State for first place in the SEC West. The schedule sets up nicely for the Hogs, too. Their next six opponents have losing records.
Next up, the Auburn Tigers come to Fayetteville for a 12:30 tip-off at Bud Walton Arena. The game will be televised by the SEC Network.
