Tag: Arkansas UNC-Wilmington

Social media buzzing after Menifield erupts for 32 to lift Razorbacks

Sophomore newcomer Keyon Menifield erupts for career-high 32 points to lift Arkansas to victory over UNC Wilmington.

After an up-and-down non-conference slate early in the season, the Arkansas basketball team finally gave fans a sigh of relief on Saturday, soaring to a convincing 106-90 victory over scrappy mid-major UNC Wilmington.

Most of the social media chatter surrounds newcomer Keyon Menifield Jr., who erupted for a career-high 32 points in just his third game with the Razorbacks. The NCAA forced the 6-foot-1 sophomore transfer from Washington to sit out the first semester of the season. He has continued to be more productive each game he has played.

Wilmington was a 10.5-point underdog but had proved their prowess with an 80-73 win against Kentucky at Rupp Arena on Dec. 2. The Seahawks kept things close against the Razorbacks in the first half Saturday, but Arkansas began to roll after the intermission. The Hogs outscore UNCW 58-48 in the second half.

Here is a snippet of what was being posted by fans and media on X (Twitter) after the game:

Hogs put away pesky UNC-Wilmington behind Keyon Menifield Jr.’s 32 points

Arkansas was able to put away a pesky UNC-Wilmington behind an incredible offensive onslaught, led by Keyon Menifield’s 32-point performance.

It was an offensive showcase in Bud Walton Arena on Saturday evening as [autotag]Arkansas basketball[/autotag] was able to put away a very pesky UNC-Wilmington team, 106-90. With the win, the Hogs enter SEC play with a 9-4 record on the year.

Both teams showed minimal rust from their extended breaks in the first half as Arkansas shot 15-30 (50%) from the field and UNCW shot 18-33 (54.5%). The first half featured eight ties, eight lead changes and the Hogs appeared to have their hands full.

That was until they went on a late run to gain some much-needed breathing room at halftime, with a 48-42 lead.

The offensive onslaught from both teams continued into the second half, but [autotag]Eric Musselman[/autotag]’s squad was able to fend off any run that UNCW tried to put together. The Hogs led by as much as 19 late into the second half while also never letting the Seahawks get closer than four (59-55).

UNCW kept it around 10 for final stages of the second half and the Razorbacks capped off the win with a slam dunk from Jalen Graham, giving them the final tally of 106-90.

[autotag]Keyon Menifield Jr.[/autotag] was easily the star of the night, scoring 32 points on 8-14 shooting from the field, 3-7 shooting from 3-point land and 13-17 from the charity stripe. He added five assists, four rebounds and only three turnovers.

The Hogs had four other players in double-figures – [autotag]Tramon Mark[/autotag] (18), [autotag]Jalen Graham[/autotag] (16), [autotag]Devo Davis[/autotag] (14), and [autotag]Trevon Brazile[/autotag] (12). Brazile led the team with eight boards while Graham and Davis each had six apiece.

Arkansas is back in action next Saturday when they begin SEC play in Bud Walton Arena against the Auburn Tigers. Tip-off is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. and will be on ESPN2.

Arkansas vs. UNC-Wilmington: How to watch, listen, stream, key players and more

It’s the final game before SEC play begins for Arkansas basketball. Here’s how you can catch the action, key players to watch and more.

[autotag]Arkansas basketball[/autotag] (8-4) is back in action on Saturday, facing off against a stingy UNC-Wilmington (9-2) team that has upset on their mind.

The Seahawks went into Rupp Arena earlier this season and upset the then-No. 12-ranked Kentucky Wildcats, 80-73. So, if the Hogs aren’t careful they could very easily be victims to an upset themselves.

The Razorbacks have failed to put together a full game in their last three contests, getting blown out by Oklahoma, narrowly escaping a second-half comeback against Lipscomb and overcoming an abysmal first half against Abilene Christian last week.

Saturday afternoon’s matchup will be the first ever meeting between these two programs. Look for this game to be a battle of the benches as both Arkansas and UNC-Wilmington rely heavily on their bench units to provide offensive firepower.

It’s the final test for the Hogs before conference play begins and it should be a good one. Here’s how you can watch, listen, key players and much more.