John Calipari describes emotions of first SEC win

It wasn’t pretty, but Arkansas won its first SEC game of the season 68-65 over Georgia after trailing by as many as 15 points during the mid-week matchup.

The Razorbacks found themselves down 12 points heading into halftime, and it could have been worse if not for Zvonimir Ivisic‘s buzzer-beating 3-point shot to end the first half. It might have seemed bleak at the time, but the shot was the momentum swing Arkansas needed to help outscore Georgia by 15 points in the second half.

“It’s hard when you’re not winning to get in that mindset that we’re fine,” Arkansas head coach John Calipari said about trailing big at halftime. “If you’ve won five games, you’re looking at each other like, ‘We will be fine. We’re coming back and beating them.’ If you lose now, all of a sudden, you’re in a different deal.

“I’m happy for the kids. It’s nice to get it off their back, and now we keep playing. Let’s see how we build on this.”

Adou Thiero and Karter Knox combined for 30 points and 15 rebounds to lead the winning effort during the matchup. Knox, who scored 13 during the contest, logged 11 of those points at the free throw line. Thiero scored seven at the charity stripe, including the go-ahead free throw that put Arkansas up for good in the final seconds of the game.

Their prowess on the boards helped Arkansas out-rebound Georgia 40-30 on the night — including 18 to 8 on the offensive glass. There, Calipari’s group scored 33 second-chance points compared to the Bulldogs’ 16.

In the end, Arkansas led for just 29 seconds during Wednesday’s SEC contest, and it was enough to secure the victory.

The win improved Arkansas to 12-7 on the season as the Razorbacks look to shift their focus to Saturday’s home stand against Oklahoma — the same Sooners team that fell to Georgia 72-62 earlier this month. Tip-off between the Razorbacks and Sooners is set for Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. ET live from Bud Walton Arena. The game will air live on ESPN2.

The game will be Arkansas’ last before Calipari’s reunion in Rupp Arena with his old Kentucky Wildcats. Logging back-to-back wins before heading up to Lexington could be pivotal to the Hogs’ confidence heading into what is expected to be a hostile environment.