FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) – It took Arkansas a half to shake off the cobwebs but once they were free, they looked like a team with a new spark.
Mike Neighbors made his coaching debut for the Razorbacks and he saw his new club open the second half on a 17-4 run and posted a 65-54 win over Sam Houston State in the 2017-18 season opener.
After struggling from the field early, Arkansas got hot from the perimeter in the final two periods and finished the game with nine made 3-pointers despite shooting just 27 percent from beyond the arc. The Razorbacks were led by Malica Monk with 18 points while Devin Cosper added 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting.
The Razorbacks outscored Sam Houston State 23-9 in the third quarter after trailing by five at the half. The Bearcats led 13-5 after the first quarter.
Arkansas will host Samford on Sunday at 1 p.m.
!["This program, [when] you talk about some of the best jobs in the country in basketball, this is one of them," Calipari said.](https://media.tegna-media.com/assets/KFSM/images/cf0926fc-f855-401b-9c52-091fa843e8c1/cf0926fc-f855-401b-9c52-091fa843e8c1_1920x1080.jpg)