Billy Richmond III scored a career-high 25 points and Darius Acuff Jr. matched his career best with 31 points to lead No. 21 Arkansas to an 88-75 victory over Auburn on Saturday night at Bud Walton Arena.
Acuff added seven assists with just one turnover, including 20 points after halftime, as the Razorbacks improved to 19-6 overall and 9-3 in SEC play. The win avenged a 95-73 loss at Auburn last month.
Arkansas, which led 38-30 at the break, seized control early in the second half with a 15-2 run fueled by three consecutive Acuff three-pointers and two assists. The surge pushed the lead to as many as 21 points, and Auburn never got closer than eight the rest of the way.
Richmond was dominant inside, shooting 12 of 15 from the field and igniting the home crowd with five dunks, tying the most by a Razorback this season. He also recorded three steals. Trevon Brazile added 11 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots, while freshman Meleek Thomas grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds.
The Razorbacks controlled the paint, scoring 52 points inside and shooting 67.5% on two-point attempts. Arkansas finished at 57.4% from the field overall and recorded 19 assists against just five turnovers. In the second half, the Hogs had 10 assists and no turnovers.
Auburn was led by Tahaad Pettiford’s 29 points and seven assists, while KeShawn Murphy posted a double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Arkansas limited Murphy to just four points after halftime.
Arkansas used a 10-0 first-half run to build an early lead and shot 60% before the break. Richmond led the Hogs with 12 first-half points, while Acuff added 11.
The Razorbacks return to the road Wednesday to face Alabama. Tipoff is set for 6 on ESPN.
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