Razorback rookies Meleek Thomas and Darius Acuff Jr. led No. 17 Arkansas to a 108-74 win over South Carolina on Wednesday night at Bud Walton Arena.
Thomas scored 21 points and added four steals, while Acuff finished with 18 points and 13 assists as Arkansas posted a season-high 27 assists and committed just four turnovers. The Razorbacks controlled the game in transition and the paint, outscoring South Carolina 22-2 in points off turnovers, 66-36 in the paint, 32-7 in fastbreak points and 47-15 in bench scoring.
Thomas missed only one shot, going 8 of 9 from the field and 5 of 5 from three-point range, marking his fourth 20-point game of the season. Acuff recorded his third double-double, and his 13 assists tied for the sixth-most in a game by a Razorback, the second-most in an SEC game and the second-most by an Arkansas freshman.
Arkansas scored at least 100 points for the fifth time this season, and the 108 points tied for the sixth-most in an SEC game. The 34-point margin of victory also tied for the sixth-largest in SEC play.
The Razorbacks jumped out to a 22-12 lead with an early 12-2 run in the first half and never trailed. A 16-1 surge early in the second half extended the lead to a comfortable margin with 14 minutes remaining.
Former South Carolina player Nick Pringle scored a season-high 15 points with seven rebounds for Arkansas. Malique Ewin added 18 points, Trevon Brazile scored 13, and D.J. Wagner finished with 12, all of which came in the second half.
Meechie Johnson led South Carolina with 29 points, the only Gamecock to reach double figures.
Arkansas led 50-38 at halftime after dominating the opening period, including a 32-12 edge in points in the paint. The Razorbacks followed with 58 points in the second half, shooting nearly 70 percent from the field after the break.
Arkansas will return to action Saturday, traveling to face No. 21/22 Georgia at Stegeman Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. CT, with the game televised on ESPN2.
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