Entering one of the most hostile environments in college basketball on a five-game losing streak, Arkansas played and battled No. 4 Kentucky like it had nothing to lose.
And the Razorbacks nearly shocked the country.
Arkansas played hard enough and well enough to win in Rupp Arena on Tuesday, Arkansas coach Mike Anderson said following the 70-66 loss, but a number of things - including some controversial whistles and no calls - didn't go the Razorbacks' way in the game's final minutes.
Arkansas falls to 14-14 on the season and 5-10 in SEC play with three regular-season games remaining.
"Our guys came out with the mindset of really playing defense and fighting," he said. "I thought we played with our hearts. That was the true Razorbacks tonight and I was really proud of the effort of our guys. I'm never into consolation (prizes) ... and I know that's life on the road, but (Kentucky shot) 32 free throws, man.
"I'm not crying, but ... at the same time I thought our guys came out and I thought we established our identity on defense."
It would have been difficult for the Razorbacks' staff to script a better first half on the road. Behind 16 first-half points from freshman Isaiah Joe, Arkansas led the Wildcats by as many as 12, then, less than two minutes into the second half, the lead ballooned to 15 points and Kentucky was officially on upset alert.
Arkansas carried a 39-28 lead into halftime, and by that point, Joe had poured in 16 points, Reggie Chaney added eight - his most points in a game since Tennessee on Jan. 15 - and Desi Sills chipped in seven of what would become a career-high 15 points. Daniel Gafford added a layup in the closing seconds of the first half and the Razorbacks went into the break with a pep in their step.
Anderson spoke Monday about the importance of valuing the basketball after the Razorbacks coughed the ball up too many times in key moments in Saturday's loss to Texas A&M. Players received the message loud and clear and finished the first half with only one turnover. Defensively, the Hogs forced Kentucky into 12 turnovers, which led to 14 points on the other end.
Up 15 at Kentucky, everyone knew a run was coming at some point. It hit around the 13-minute mark in the second half. Fueled by five points from Tyler Herro, who hit a 3 with seven minutes left to give Kentucky its first lead since the 13:45 mark of the first half, the Wildcats reeled off 12 straight points to regain control.
Herro was sensational and every bit as good as advertised. The freshman finished with a career-high 29 points on 9-of-10 from the floor and a sizzling 5-of-6 from 3-point range. Herro's previous career-high was 24 points in a win over Louisville in December.
What makes Herro's game so impressive is Kentucky coach John Calipari said Herro was dealing with "a strained right ankle" as the second half began. He then scored 17 points, buried all five shots and four free throws in 19 second-half minutes.
"My teammates, they put a lot of trust and confidence into me, then I just put the work in offensively," Herro said. "I feel like I'm built for this."
The fact of the matter is, too, despite an encouraging effort on the road, Arkansas blew another double-figure lead in the second half of a league game. Tuesday marked the fourth time - LSU (18), Vanderbilt (10), South Carolina (13), Kentucky (15) - in eight February games it's happened.
The Razorbacks also led by eight early in the second half against Mississippi State.
But, as Anderson alluded to, there were a number of headscratching officiating moments, particularly late in the second half. Kentucky shot 20 second-half free throws to Arkansas' eight and, perhaps most egregiously, officials swallowed their whistles on what appeared to be a traveling violation along the baseline as a Kentucky player attempted to inbound the ball with 3.2 seconds to play.
Texas Tech also got away with a similar play in Arkansas' loss in Lubbock exactly one month ago.
Then, once the ball was in play, replayed showed it touched a Wildcats player's arm last before landing out of bounds. Arkansas guard Mason Jones was adamant replay would prove the Razorbacks should regain possession. Officials did not see it that way, and Kentucky hit two free throws to seal the win.
Hitting free throws in key moments is something Arkansas did not do late either, much to Anderson's dismay.
"Our guys came out with the right mindset and that's what we talked about. We know what our identity is going to be, and that's defense, and I thought we started on defense," Anderson said. "But the thing I always harp on with our guys is free throws, man. We missed some critical free throws going down the stretch."
Now losers of six consecutive games, Arkansas returns home Saturday against Ole Miss. And as Anderson said Monday, he stills believes there is some good basketball ahead of this team.
"I really, really do," he added. "For our Razorback fans, just hang in there with me. It's all about the patience, but these guys are growing up right before your eyes."