FAYETTEVILLE — For the first time in a long time, Arkansas has a non-conference losing streak in Bud Walton Arena.
The Razorbacks' 69-65 loss to Georgia Tech on Wednesday was their second consecutive at the arena, where they lost 78-77 to Western Kentucky on Dec. 8.
It is the first time Arkansas has lost consecutive non-conference home games under eighth-year coach Mike Anderson, who prior to the Western Kentucky loss had a 67-2 record in non-conference home games and had won 28 straight. Anderson's overall home record at Arkansas is 115-17.
The Razorbacks last lost consecutive non-conference home games in January 2010 when No. 24 UAB won 73-72 on a buzzer-beating dunk, and No. 2 Texas won 96-85 three days later. Arkansas also had a three-game home losing streak that season against Morgan State, East Tennessee State and South Alabama.
Another Rarity
The Razorbacks have lost two of their past three games when leading at halftime. Arkansas entered the Western Kentucky game with 46 consecutive wins when leading at halftime, and 64 straight at Bud Walton Arena.
Arkansas led Georgia Tech 32-31 at halftime Wednesday after falling behind by as many as 11 points in the first half. The Razorbacks led Western Kentucky 41-33 at the break.
According to HogStats.com, it is the first time since the 2009-10 losses to East Tennessee State and South Alabama that Arkansas has lost back-to-back home games when leading at halftime.
Beat Inside
Georgia Tech out-rebounded Arkansas 43-31 and outscored the Razorbacks 30-26 in the paint.
Arkansas entered the game out-rebounding opponents by 1.1 per game, while Georgia Tech had a +0.3 rebounding advantage prior to Wednesday.
Yellow Jackets forward James Banks III had 14 points and 14 rebounds. Banks was playing Arkansas for the second time, having played eight minutes in a loss to the Razorbacks while at Texas in December 2016.
Arkansas' Daniel Gafford had 14 points and eight rebounds before fouling out in the final minute.
Make It 5
Georgia Tech has won five in a row and improved to 5-1 in the series against Arkansas.
The Razorbacks' only win over the Yellow Jackets came on Dec. 30, 1961, a 72-42 result at the Poinsettia Classic in Greenville, S.C.
The most recent meeting prior to Wednesday was won 83-73 by Georgia Tech on Nov. 26, 2015, in Brooklyn, N.Y.
First Time
The game was the first against Arkansas for third-year Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner, who previously spent seven seasons as coach at Memphis.
While at Memphis, Pastner would not schedule Arkansas and other regional opponents - such as Tennessee - to protect the Tigers' recruiting interests in the city.
Arkansas coach Mike Anderson has previously stated he would like to add Memphis to the Razorbacks' schedule again, and first-year Memphis coach Penny Hardaway reciprocated interest when he was hired earlier this year.
Former Memphis coach Tubby Smith also expressed interest in playing Arkansas. While the Tigers' coach, Smith reinstated a game against Tennessee. The Tigers lost to the No. 3 Volunteers 102-92 last Saturday in Memphis.
Welcome, Bobby
Former Georgia Tech coach Bobby Cremins attended Wednesday's game after traveling to Fayetteville with the team.
Cremins had a 354-237 record in 19 seasons as Georgia Tech's coach from 1981-2000. He also coached at Appalachian State and College of Charleston, and retired in 2012 with 579 career wins.
Cremins met with former Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson prior to the game during a Georgia Tech shootaround. Cremins and Richardson both coached in the 1990 Final Four in Denver, but the Yellow Jackets lost to UNLV and the Razorbacks lost to Duke in the national semifinals, denying the men an opportunity to meet in the national championship game.
Cremins and Richardson never coached against each other. Cremins' Yellow Jackets defeated Eddie Sutton's Razorbacks 72-52 on Dec. 26, 1984, at the Rainbow Classic in Honolulu, and Richardson replaced Sutton following the season.
Jalen Watch
Arkansas guard Jalen Harris committed two second-half turnovers, his first since the second half of a game at Colorado State on Dec. 5.
Harris had gone roughly 95 minutes of playing time without committing a turnover. He entered the game leading the NCAA with a 7.56 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Harris had four assists and two turnovers in 31 minutes against Georgia Tech after a 10-assist, no-turnover performance against Texas-San Antonio last Saturday. Harris scored seven points against the Yellow Jackets.
Next Year
Arkansas and Georgia Tech are scheduled to play again Nov. 25, 2019, at McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta. The Razorbacks have not played the Yellow Jackets on their campus since January 1966.
Arkansas did play two games at Georgia Tech's old Alexander Memorial Coliseum in 2008 when the SEC Tournament was moved there after a tornado struck the Georgia Dome. The Razorbacks defeated Tennessee in the semifinals and lost to Georgia in the tournament championship game on the Georgia Tech campus.
vs. The ACC
Arkansas fell to 19-33 against teams that configure the 15-team Atlantic Coast Conference.
Georgia Tech is the first sitting ACC team to win at Bud Walton Arena. Syracuse won in November 2012 while a member of the Big East.
Late Start
The Georgia Tech game began at 8 p.m., the second of six games for Arkansas this season that are scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. or later. All six games are scheduled for weeknights.
The announced attendance at Bud Walton Arena on Wednesday was 8,132. There were 14,368 tickets sold.