Emanuel Sharp scored 22 points and freshman guard Kingston Flemings added 21 as No. 8 Houston rode a first-half rally to a 94-85 victory over No. 14 Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday in Newark, N.J.
Sharp drilled three 3-pointers, including one early in the second half that served as a response to a 3-point play from Arkansas’ Malique Ewin that pulled the Razorbacks to within 58-50. The Cougars (11-1) essentially maintained that working margin for the remainder of the Never Forget Tribute Classic.
Flemings added six rebounds, five assists and three steals to his ledger while Milos Uzan paired 13 points with four assists for the Cougars, who shot 51.6% overall, including 11 of 25 from behind the 3-point arc. Houston scored 19 points off 12 Arkansas turnovers.
Freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr. posted game highs of 27 points and seven assists to pace the Razorbacks (9-3). Ewin tallied 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds for Arkansas, but he finished 10 of 17 from the free-throw line. Four of those misses came late in the first half as the Razorbacks attempted to claw back from a 40-19 deficit.
A spate of Arkansas turnovers fueled the Cougars’ surge to a double-digit lead midway through the first half. Flemings recorded back-to-back steals that yielded baskets, with Ramon Walker Jr. (12 points off the bench) following the first Flemings steal with a second-chance putback before Flemings converted a layup for a 28-17 lead at the 11:59 mark.
Arkansas attempted to stop the bleeding with a timeout, but Joseph Tugler forced another turnover and scored on the other end as Houston capped its 15-0 run to take a 34-17 lead. Acuff stalled that rally with a pair of free throws that ignited a Razorbacks response. His 3-point play with 6:36 left in the half shaved the deficit to 10 and, while the Cougars missed 8 of 9 shots, Arkansas sliced a 21-point deficit to single digits.
When Acuff attacked the rim for a layup with three seconds left, Arkansas trailed 49-41 at the half. Acuff and Ewin combined for 26 first-half points to keep the Razorbacks within range.
–Field Level Media
