Before this game started, I thought the Hogs were going to win. With about eight minutes to go in the second half, I really thought they were going to win. But Arkansas was skittish or careless on too many possessions down the stretch, and they got slaughtered on the boards, particularly the offensive glass, giving the Gators an overabundance of second-chance points in the final minutes.
This was a thoroughly irritating game, a real wasted opportunity. A victory tonight would have given this program some genuine momentum for the first time in more than a year. I don't doubt this team's effort, but too often I do doubt their smarts and their preparation.
I appreciate that the Razorbacks have made some noticeable strides here lately. However, tonight was an example of the kind of game we've seen over and over and over these last two years, the kind in which the Hogs give the opponent a decent enough fight - sometimes a very tough fight - only to go all goofy and spazzy during the clutch.
Over their next four games, the Razorbacks face Kentucky, Ole Miss and Georgia on the road, and Mississippi State at home. It looks like a pretty brutal stretch, especially when you consider Arkansas hasn't won a conference road game in two years. If the Hogs would like to demonstrate more poise in the clutch, these next few games would be good times to do it.
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