Arkansas’ basketball team missed on another chance for a late-season road win Tuesday night.
Unlike their close loss at No. 2 Alabama three days earlier, the Razorbacks never seemed to have a chance during a 75-57 loss at No. 12 Tennessee.
Arkansas (19-11, 8-9 SEC) has lot four of its last six games. The Razorbacks are scheduled to conclude the regular season with a 1 p.m. home game against No. 23 Kentucky on Saturday.
Tennessee (22-8, 11-6) scored the game’s first seven points and never trailed. The Volunteers led 34-25 at halftime and by as many as 24 points in the second half.
Arkansas had problems matching Tennessee’s physicality, and the Razorbacks played sloppy against the one of college basketball’s best defenses.
The Vols forced 16 turnovers — six of which were committed by Arkansas guard Anthony Black — and converted the miscues into 19 points. Tennessee also had 10 offensive rebounds that led to 13 second-chance points.
Arkansas made 18 of 49 field goal attempts (37%) and were 13 of 22 at the free-throw line (59%). Black and Davonte Davis each scored 13 points to lead the Razorbacks. Nick Smith scored 12 points and Ricky Council added 11 off the bench.
The Razorbacks barely eclipsed their low-point output of the season, which was set in a 62-56 loss at Texas A&M on Feb. 15.
Olivier Nkamhoua led the Vols with 16 points and Santiago Vescovi added 14 in his final home game.
Tennessee point guard Zakai Zeigler was injured in the game’s first minute. Zeigler came into the game averaging 11 points and leads the SEC with 5.5 assists per game.
The Vols made 50% of their field goal attempts (27 of 54) and were 17 of 25 at the free-throw line.
Tennessee outscored the Razorbacks 42-18 in the paint. Arkansas post players Makhi Mitchell, Makhel Mitchell, Jalen Graham and Kamani Johnson combined for two points and six rebounds, and did not make a field goal.
Arkansas will look to sweep its season series against Kentucky, which it defeated 88-73 on Feb. 7 in Lexington, Ky. The Wildcats have won four consecutive games entering their Wednesday game against Vanderbilt.
The Razorbacks' win at Kentucky was a rarity. Arkansas fell to 2-8 in true road games this season.