FAYETTEVILLE – Sophomore Trevon Brazile recorded his first career double-double – with a career-high 21 points and a career-high 12 rebounds – to lead #10 Arkansas to a 76-58, season-opening win over North Dakota State Monday night at Bud Walton Arena.
The win to open the Razorbacks’ 100th season of basketball improved Arkansas to 81-19 in season openers and 90-10 in home openers. The Hogs are also a perfect 30-0 in home openers in Bud Walton Arena.
Transfer Ricky Council IV and Davonte Davis also played key roles in the win. Council scored a game-high 22 points – his fifth career 20-point game – and Davis added 18 points with six rebounds. Anthony Black had seven rebounds and three steals. Makhi Mitchell also had three steals.
Boden Skunberg and Grant Nelson each had 17 points to lead the Bison.
Arkansas returns to action on Friday (Nov. 11) for game two of the three-game homestand to open the season.
FIRST HALF: Arkansas: 34 – North Dakota State: 26
- Arkansas opened the scoring and raced out to a 9-2 lead.
- Arkansas never trailed in the period although NDSU tied the game at 14-14 and 19-19.
- NDSU got to within two (26-24) with 3:00 to play before the Razorbacks went on an 8-0 run – thanks to a 3-pointer and alley-oop dunk from Trevon Brazile – to take its largest lead (34-24).
- Ricky Council and Devo Davis led Arkansas, each with eight points. Brazile added seven points and seven rebounds.
- Arkansas forced nine first-half turnovers thanks to two steals from Black.
- Boden Skunberg led NDSU with 10 points and Andrew Morgan had seven rebounds.
SECOND HALF: Arkansas: 42 – North Dakota State: 32
- Up seven (37-30) with 18:29 left, Arkansas went on a 13-1 run – including an 11-0 run to close the stretch to lead 18 (49-31). Brazile had seven points and Council four during the run.
- Council drained a 3-poniter from the right corner to give the Hogs their largest lead of 21 points (56-35) with 11:35 left)
- The Bison battled back with a 10-0 run to make the score 56-45 with 8:43 left. Council ended the run with a layup.
- NDSU was down 13 with 3:59 left before Arkansas went on a 9-1 run to lead by 21 with nine ticks left. However, the Bison made a 3-pointer with three seconds left to provide the 18-point margin.
