BOWLING GREEN, KY (KFSM) – Perfection doesn’t come easy, and the Hogs saw that first hand on the road Saturday night against Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers beat Arkansas at Bud Walton last year, and it was the same story in Bowling Green this year, wit the Hogs falling 86-79 in overtime.
It was a tight, back and forth affair from the start. Jimmy Whitt Jr. came hot out the gates with a couple jumpers to give Arkansas the early lead, but it wouldn’t hold for long. Hilltopper star Charles Bassey picked up where he left off from last year’s contest, dominating inside and helping Western Kentucky to a 33-28 halftime lead.
Things stayed tight in the second half. Jalen Harris picked up a steal and fastbreak layup to put the Hogs up 39-37 with 16 minutes left, but WKU wouldn’t go away. With just about three minutes left, a pair of free throws put the Hilltoppers up 63-62. Then the Arkansas three point shooting came out of its shell.
Isaiah Joe hit a three on the next possession, and Desi Sills followed in kind moments later to put the Hogs up five. But again, Western Kentucky came back, and a three with 30 seconds left tied the game at 73. The Hogs missed multiple chances to win in regulation, and it was off to overtime.
The teams traded buckets for the first couple minutes, neither side able to go up by more than a basket. A steal and transition layup from Taveion Hollingsworth put WKU up 80-77 wit two minutes left, and the Hogs couldn’t claw back, falling 86-79.
Arkansas moves to 8-1 on the season. Up next, Tulsa comes in to town, with the Hogs hosting the Golden Hurricane Saturday at 12:30 inside Bud Walton Arena.