Arkansas drops Vegas opener

Arkansas' Rickey Scott (3) drives to the basket between Arizona State's Eric Jacobsen (3) and Carrick Felix (0) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational tournament on Friday, Nov. 23, 2012, in Las Vegas. Arizona State won 83-68. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Arkansas' Rickey Scott (3) drives to the basket between Arizona State's Eric Jacobsen (3) and Carrick Felix (0) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational tournament on Friday, Nov. 23, 2012, in Las Vegas. Arizona State won 83-68. (AP Photo/David Becker)

— Carrick Felix scored a career-high 24 points to lead Arizona State past Arkansas 83-68 on Friday, putting ASU in the final of the Las Vegas Invitational.

Felix, who had 17 first-half points, was 8 of 10 from the field, part of a 56 percent shooting effort for the Sun Devils (4-0).

Arizona State led only 43-41 at intermission, but scored the second half's first six points and never trailed again. ASU led 70-56 with 7:47 left, and the Razorbacks got no closer than 12 points the rest of the way.

BJ Young had 29 points and was 12 of 24 from the field for the Razorbacks (3-1). Rashad Madden added 11 points and Hunter Michelson had 10.

Jahii Carson had 19 points for the Sun Devils, and Jordan Bachynski added 14 points and 13 rebounds. Jonathan Gilling also grabbed 13 boards.

On Saturday, ASU will play the winner of late Friday's game between Wisconsin and No. 15 Creighton in the tournament final, while Arkansas will face the loser of that game for third place.

The win gave ASU only its fourth 4-0 start in 26 seasons.

Both teams led by as many as five points in the first half, which featured seven ties and four lead changes. Young had 16 points at halftime.

Felix's previous career high of 23 points came March 4 in a win against Arizona. Young was two points off his career high of 31 scored against Florida on Feb. 18.

The teams' only previous meeting came in the 1991 NCAA tournament in Atlanta. The Razorbacks won that matchup 97-90 and went on to the regional final in Charlotte, N.C.

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