A 13-point halftime lead slipped away for 10th-seed Arkansas as the Razorbacks were eliminated from the SEC Tournament with a 67-61 loss to 2-seed Texas A&M in Friday's quarterfinal round.
An issue prevalent throughout the season for Arkansas (20-12), the Hogs managed to overcome a blown lead Thursday, as it got past Auburn 76-73 to set up a third meeting this season with the Aggies (23-8).
Friday, the Hogs could not manage the same feat, with the Aggies outscoring the Razorbacks 42-23 in the second half to end Arkansas' stay in Nashville. Three-point shooting particularly hurt the Hogs, with Arkansas going 0-for-8 from three in the second half, and just 5-for-20 for the game.
Nick Smith Jr. (16 points) and Makhi Mitchell (15 points) were the only Razorbacks to score in double figures, while Texas A&M's Wade Taylor led all scorers with 18 points.
Similar to Thursday's contest with Auburn, Eric Musselman's team started the game on a strong note.
A three-point jumper from Devo Davis capped a 12-4 run that put Arkansas ahead 18-10 with midway through the first half.
The Razorbacks went into the half with momentum and a double-digit lead. Jordan Walsh banked in a three-pointer from the left wing at the buzzer to give Arkansas a 38-25 advantage at the break.
The Aggies however were quickly able to flip the script in the second half.
Texas A&M completely erased the deficit within the first ten minutes of the half, as Dexter Dennis' layup put the Aggies up 46-45 with 10:26 to go.
Arkansas would creep back in front momentarily on a fast-break layup from Davis to go ahead 51-50.
But the Aggies would lead the rest of the way, with a hook shot from Julius Marble on the following possession putting Texas A&M ahead for good.
Texas A&M was able to turn the tables in the second half thanks in part to getting to the free-throw line more often. After shooting just two free throws in the second half, the Aggies shot 22 in the second half, making 16 of them.
The other key was the Arkansas offense struggling to get the looks it found in the first half. The Hogs shot 54% in the first half, but the second half was a different story, shooting just 30%.
The Razorbacks will now await their NCAA Tournament path which they'll find out on Selection Sunday in two days.