Game sketch: No. 14 Arkansas 86, Old Dominion 77

Why Arkansas Won

The Razorbacks’ guard play offensively was electric. Davonte Davis finished with a season-high 16 points, Louisville transfer El Ellis had 17 points and Khalif Battle was in double figures again off the bench with 13. The trio teamed up to score 28 second-half points. Forwards Makhi Mitchell and Trevon Brazile combined for 26 points and 14 rebounds. Mitchell recorded his first double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 boards.

Why Old Dominion Lost

It wasn’t for a lack of effort. The Monarchs gave the Razorbacks everything they wanted and scrapped and clawed for rebounds and loose balls, and won most of those battles. After a 0-of-7 start from three-point range, Old Dominion had a stretch in which it made 11 of 15 threes to keep it close. But the Monarchs did not have an answer for Arkansas’ backcourt.

Turning Point

Old Dominion threw a possession of zone defense at the Razorbacks with less than seven minutes to play. Davis found an open Battle in the left corner and he knocked down a three-pointer. It gave Arkansas a 75-65 lead. Mitchell added a score at the rim on the next possession.

Player of the Game

Ellis scored his 17 points on 7 of 11 from the field and had 8 assists against 0 turnovers. It is the first time he did not turn the ball over in a game at the Division I level since Feb. 26, 2022, against Wake Forest while he was at Louisville.

Stat of the Game

Ellis’ assists led to 21 Arkansas points. The Razorbacks were 5 of 7 from three-point range immediately following an Ellis pass.

Battle Bombs

The Temple transfer entered Monday’s game 6 of 10 from three-point range. He stayed hot against the Monarchs.

Battle knocked down 2 of 3 attempts and moved to 61.5% from deep through 3 games. Dating to his final games with the Owls, he has made multiple threes in 8 of his last 9 games played.

Block Party: Part 2

Brazile scored in double figures for the third time in as many games Monday. But his greatest impact came on the defensive end.

The 6-10 forward blocked four more shots, giving him nine in his last 55 minutes.

Blocker In Uniform

Arkansas freshman guard Layden Blocker was back in uniform Monday. He missed the Razorbacks’ 86-68 win over Gardner-Webb last Friday with an illness, according to Eric Musselman and a team spokesman.

Blocker checked into the game at the 12:38 mark of the first half and missed both of his field goal attempts.

Up Next

Arkansas hosts North Carolina-Greensboro on Friday at 7 p.m. It will be the team’s final game before traveling to The Bahamas for the Battle 4 Atlantis from Nov. 22-24. The Spartans, who are 1-0 with a 94-78 win over North Carolina A&T, are scheduled to travel to Vanderbilt on Tuesday. Brazile injured his right knee in last season’s game against UNC-Greensboro, a 65-58 win for the Razorbacks.

By The Numbers

98 — Musselman’s win total in his tenure at Arkansas

40 — Bench points for Old Dominion

38 — Consecutive non-conference wins in Bud Walton Arena

34 — Points needed for Davis to reach 1,000 in his college career

21 — Fast-break points for the Monarchs to the Razorbacks’ 9

12 — Points Arkansas outscored the Monarchs by with Davis on the floor

11 — Three-pointers allowed by Arkansas, the most since Tennessee made 12 on March 5, 2022

4 — The Razorbacks’ turnover total, their lowest in a game under Musselman

1:43 — Time remaining in the game when Mitchell recorded his first double-double of the season by corralling a defensive rebound