Arkansas center Moses Kingsley scored more points in the first half against Sam Houston State on Thursday night than he did in seven games this season.
Kingsley, a 6-10 senior, scored 13 of his season-high 17 points in the first half to help the Razorbacks beat the Bearkats 90-56 at Verizon Arena in North Little Rock.
Kingsley came into the game averaging 10.7 points with his previous high of 15 against Southern Illinois. His 13 first-half points also matched his total against North Florida and Austin Peay.
"Moses made a couple shots early on," Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson said. "It's amazing how it really gets you fired up.
"Our guys did a good job of spacing the floor and finding him, and he showed his versatility. He just looked more relaxed."
After Kingsley missed his first shot, he had a three-point play with a layup and free throw to get untracked. He hit 4 of his last 6 shots of the half and 5 of 7 free throws.
"I felt like I was more aggressive in the first half this game," Kingsley said. "I just don't have it going in the first half sometimes.
"This game I felt like I had it going."
Kingsley finished 5 of 9 from the field and 7 of 9 from the free-throw line.
"I didn't think about it a lot," Kingsley said. "I just tried to score."
Nice crowd
The announced attendance of 12,153 was the most Arkansas has drawn for an in-state game this season.
The largest announced crowd for the Razorbacks' nine games in Fayetteville so far has been 10,059 against Austin Peay.
"I thought for all the fans, man, they set the tone," Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson said. "They came in with unbelievable energy, but that doesn't surprise me.
"Our guys came out and just followed the script. I thought we matched their energy and took it to another level."
Anderson said on his postgame radio show he could "feel the energy before the game started" in the arena.
"Our guys I thought responded in a great, great way," Anderson said.
Anderson spoke Wednesday at a luncheon in Little Rock.
"I said yesterday, 'You know what, if you fans show up and you bring the energy, we will match it,' " Anderson said. "I thought we matched it and hopefully superseded it."
Staying hot
Arkansas junior guard Daryl Macon has hit 24 consecutive free throws over the past four games, including 14 of 14 in Arkansas' 77-74 victory over Texas on Saturday in Houston. He was 3 of 3 Thursday night.
At Verizon
Arkansas improved to 9-9 all-time in Verizon Arena, where the Razorbacks first played during the 1999-2000 season when they swept Texas-Pan American and Centenary.
Mike Anderson is 4-2 in Verizon Arena as Arkansas' coach, with victories over Alabama A&M, South Alabama and Southeast Missouri State in addition to Sam Houston State and losses to Houston and Mercer.
Not the Hogs
Sam Houston State is 20-54 against current SEC teams, but none of the Bearkats' victories have come at Arkansas' expense.
The Razorbacks are 4-0 against Sam Houston State, winning previously 97-79 during the 1988-89 season, 78-67 during the 2002-03 season and 73-68 to open the 2012-13 season.
The Bearkats' last victory over a current SEC team was 80-77 at Missouri to open the 2005-06 season. That was the season before Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson left Alabama-Birmingham to become the Tigers' coach.
What took so long
Daryl Macon hit a three-point basket to open the scoring for Arkansas for the second consecutive game, but it took him over a minute longer.
Macon, a junior guard from Little Rock, put Arkansas ahead 3-0 with 18:53 left in the first half Thursday night. He gave the Razorbacks a 3-0 lead with 19:54 left in the first half in their 71-55 victory over North Dakota State on Tuesday night.
Macon extended the Razorbacks' streak of games with at least one three-point basket to 918.
Arkansas finished 7 of 19 on three-pointers Thursday night. The last time the Razorbacks didn't hit a three-pointer was Jan. 7, 1989, when they were 0 of 2 but still beat Texas 99-92 in Austin.
Back on TV
Arkansas' remaining 19 regular-season games will be televised on either the SEC Network, ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU after Thursday night's game wasn't available on TV or live streaming.
One left
Arkansas will open SEC play Dec. 29 against Florida in Walton Arena, but the Razorbacks haven't completed the nonconference portion of their schedule.
Arkansas plays at Oklahoma State on Jan. 28 in the Big 12-SEC Challenge. The game starts at 3 p.m. and will be televised on ESPNU.
Sports on 12/23/2016