Billy Richmond III posted 21 points to lead the No. 19 Arkansas Razorbacks to a 79-66 victory over the Central Arkansas Bears on Friday night. Four Razorbacks scored in double figures during the matchup at Bud Walton Arena, pushing Arkansas’ record to 3-1 for the season.
Richmond, the Razorbacks’ sole returning player this season, scored 15 of his 21 points in the first half, including seven points during a decisive 15-2 run early in the game. That stretch, spanning just over five minutes, helped Arkansas break out to an early double-digit lead.
Miikka Muurinen contributed 11 points along with two blocks and three steals. Jeremiah Wilkinson added 14 points, including a critical three-pointer late in the game, and Jordan Smith Jr. scored 12 points. The team, however, generated only 12 points from its bench, well below its season average of 28.6 points per game.
Central Arkansas (2-2), the preseason favorite to win the United Athletic Conference, made a strong push late in the second half. Harrison Beauchamp’s jumper with 4:22 remaining cut Arkansas’ lead to just six points after the Razorbacks had earlier been up by as many as 18. However, Wilkinson’s three-pointer shortly after silenced the rally and energized the home crowd. Beauchamp ended the game as the Bears’ leading scorer with 14 points, followed by Luke Moore, who added 12 for Central Arkansas.
Smith, a five-star freshman who had led the Razorbacks in scoring earlier in the season, responded with a strong outing after managing just three points in a win over Robert Morris on Wednesday. He went 5-for-6 from the field and recorded three steals.
The Razorbacks now turn their focus to a high-profile matchup against Indiana in New York City on Tuesday.