Arkansas continued its surge toward an NCAA Tournament berth Saturday when its biggest player put his worst performance of the season behind him.
Davonte Davis’ backdoor layup off a pass from fellow freshman Moses Moody proved to be the game-winning score as the Razorbacks avenged an earlier loss by downing No. 10 Missouri 86-81 in overtime in Columbia, Mo.
Justin Smith had 19 points, Jalen Tate 14, and Moses Moody and Connor Vanover 12 each in the sixth consecutive SEC win for Arkansas (16-5, 8-4 SEC).
“Yeah, I think it was huge,” Vanover said. “We came into this game knowing that we could really beat this team. The way things turned out back in Fayetteville, we didn’t play very good but we still had plenty of opportunities. We just came together and said, ‘Hey, today we’re going to bring it back to them,' and that’s what we did.”
The 7-3 Vanover had only 4 points and was 0 of 11 from the field — including 0 of 5 from three-point range — in the Razorbacks’ 81-68 home loss to the Tigers on Jan. 2. He didn’t score in four minutes of action in the first half Saturday.
But he scored all 12 of his points in the second half, including seven points just after halftime.
"I was really looking forward to this game,” Vanover said. “ Not only was it a top-10 team, I needed some redemption. I really had hoped that (Jeremiah) Tilmon would play so I could have a good matchup inside going against a really good big guy that they have. But, things still worked out our way in the end."
Tilmon torched Arkansas for 25 points and 11 rebounds in the first matchup. He missed Saturday's game due to a death in his family.
Arkansas coach Eric Musselman made an adjustment at halftime that benefitted Vanover.
“There were so many little things that happened throughout the game (like) going to Connor Vanover in the second half after I basically sat him the entire first half," Musselman said. "They put a guard on him so they could take away his pick-and-pops. I haven’t run 5-down since I coached Erick Dampier with the (Golden State) Warriors.
“So we threw him down there in the post. He made some great moves. He made a couple of great passes out of the post. Justin Smith was absolutely incredible on both sides of the basketball, passing the ball and rebounding the ball, scoring it.”
Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin felt the way his team defended Vanover was the best way to go without Tilmon.
“We like our chances with smaller guys on him because he is really a catch-and-shoot guy,” Martin said. “You have got to get him off the blocks and make him work, and I think we did a solid job there. We would rather have it that way so a guy can switch with him. Unless we have to, we don’t want a traditional big on him. We want smaller guys that can get up under him and can switch with ball screens because we have traditional bigs and it is hard to stop the ball and get back and recover and defend his three-point shots.
"I liked our chances with our guard play there."
Vanover knew he was of no impact in the first half and that had to change.
"I just knew that I always needed to stay ready no matter what happened,” Vanover said. “The first four minutes, I just didn't really do much. They came out and hit two threes on me. I was just kind of (lackadaisical), I could say. I just knew from that point on I needed to get myself going, stay positive and know that if he ever calls my name, I had to be ready.
"I went back in the second half and I just started from the get-go, just trying to play better defense, get open shots, looking for other guys. Just trying to do everything I could."
Arkansas did not host Texas A&M last Saturday due to the Aggies’ covid-19 issues, but used the rest to grab two wins against Kentucky and the Tigers this week.
“It was a really big week,” Vanover said. “Just, you know, having that time off from not being able to play Texas A&M, we just had a mentality throughout the week that these games are really important. First, at Kentucky because it’s Kentucky. Then at a really good, ranked Missouri team.
“We just had that mindset throughout this week. Big shoutout to the guys for just … We’re always together, keeping each other up and ready for this game – for both the games this week. We’re just all in it together.”