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No. 20 Arkansas has a date with visiting Maryland Eastern Shore on Monday night in Fayetteville with the hopes of moving to 5-1 on the season. Still, it hasn’t been all smooth sailing for the Razorbacks.

Arkansas led Little Rock by 18 points at halftime on Friday before losing focus down the stretch. Little Rock outscored Arkansas 43-37 in the second half and shrunk its deficit to as little as seven points. The Razorbacks ended up winning 79-67, but it was a concerning result for a team that failed its only test against a power conference opponent thus far.

That test was a 72-67 loss to Baylor in Dallas on Nov. 9. Arkansas went down by nine points at halftime in that game and couldn’t make up the deficit in the second half, despite 24 points from forward Adou Thiero.

While things haven’t been perfect, the Razorbacks have beaten all five of the mid-major foes on their early season schedule. This includes 16-point wins over Lipscomb and Troy, as well as a 19-point win over Pacific.

“We’re a team that’s a work in progress,” Arkansas coach John Calipari said. “There are times I look at us and say, ‘Wow, we’re as good as anybody.’ Then there’s other times I look at us and I say, ‘Wow, we’re as bad as anybody.’ So, it just tells you we can be something. Let’s get healthy. Let’s do this together. Let’s understand.”

Thiero has been the unquestioned leader for Arkansas on both ends of the floor. His averages of 19.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and three steals per game all lead the team. Boogie Fland has made his presence felt as well, averaging 17.4 points and a team-high 5.4 assists per game.

Maryland Eastern Shore is going through an early season gauntlet. The Hawks already have played eight games and have suffered four double-digit losses on the way to a 2-6 start.

They enter Monday’s contest coming off an 87-40 defeat at No. 25 Illinois on Saturday, marking the first of two consecutive games against power-conference opponents. Arkansas will be the Hawls’ third opponent from a power conference overall, as they also suffered a 102-63 loss to Vanderbilt in the season opener. A visit to No. 2 UConn, two-time defending NCAA champion, is slated for Saturday.

Ketron Shaw leads the Hawks in scoring, averaging 21.4 points to go along with a team-high 3.8 assists per game.

“(Shaw) continues to be efficient and consistent,” first-year head coach Cleo Hill Jr. told HBCU Gameday. “He works on his craft every day and I am just happy he followed me to UMES (from Winston-Salem State).”

The Hawks is 0-6 against Division I opponents this season. Their two wins have come against Division III foe Gallaudet and Penn State Schuylkill of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association.

–Field Level Media