FAYETTEVILLE — The final score was not indicative of the true nature of Arkansas vs Pacific on Monday night.
What was expected to be a rout was a one-possession game well into the second half, but the short-handed Razorbacks never trailed and eventually pulled away for a deceptive 91-72 victory over the Tigers inside Bud Walton Arena.
Considering No. 20 Arkansas (3-1) raced out to an early 16-point lead and was a 22-point favorite on BetSaracen — a number it was projected to cover by both KenPom and ESPN’s Basketball Power Index — it was a bit of a shock to see Pacific (3-3) pull within two on a Lamar Washington three-point play with just under 13 minutes remaining.