Sports
South Arkansas shines in GAC awards
RUSSELLVILLE – On Thursday, the Great American Conference announced the 2024 all-conference teams, year-end superlative awards and academic honor roll . The coaches voted Southern Arkansas quarterback Judd Barton the Offensive Player of the Year, Ouachita Baptist safety Josiah Johnson the Defensive Player of the Year and Tiger offensive lineman Isaiah Simpson the Freshman of the Year. Ouachita’s Todd Knight won Coach of the Year.
Additionally, a total of 15 student-athletes also received the Elite Scholar Athlete award, presented by Conway Regional Health System, in Ouachita Baptist’s Riley Harms, Melvin Kumwenda and Eli Livingston; Henderson State’s Daymon Burns and Ryan Vollmer, Southern Arkansas’ Bennett Castleberry and Cole Williams, Southern Nazarene’s Kendall Robertson and Brock Singleton, Arkansas Tech’s Damien Jordan, Arkansas-Monticello’s Ndubuisi Nwankwo, Northwestern Oklahoma State’s Beck Moss, Oklahoma Baptist’s Vinson Miller, Southeastern Oklahoma State’s Asa Robertson and Southwestern Oklahoma State’s Isaac Foster. All 15 have maintained perfect 4.00 grade-point averages.
In his first year as the Mulerider starting quarterback, Barton threw for 2,350 yards and 16 touchdowns. He ran for 577 yards and 13 touchdowns. His 2,927 yards of total offense and 30 touchdowns responsible for led the conference. Johnson intercepted two passes, forced a fumble, blocked a kick and recorded 3.0 tackles-for-loss. Simpson stepped into the left guard position and helped the Tigers rank third in rushing offense and second in fewest sacks allowed. Knight claimed his seventh Coach of the Year accolade after leading the Tigers to a 10-1 record and their sixth NCAA Division II playoff appearance.
Harding led the GAC with 10 First-Team All-GAC selections. Fullback Blake Delacruz, running back Braden Jay and right tackle Jake Dugger represented the offense. Delacruz ran for 605 yards and scored 14 total touchdowns. Jay led the GAC with 900 rushing yards, 1,284 all-purpose yards and 17 total touchdowns. He averaged 17.4 yards per touch and scored a touchdown once every 4.35 touches. Dugger anchored an offensive line that averaged more than 421 rush yards per game, 85 yards per game more than any Division I or Division II school.
The Bisons’ top-ranked defense placed six on the First Team. They lead the nation in total defense, scoring defense, first downs allowed and defensive pass efficiency. Clark Griffin led the team in tackles, Gage Price paced in sacks and tackles-for-loss and Ty Dugger intercepted four passes and returned two for touchdowns. Cayden Pierce ranked second on the team in stops, Dre Hall registered 4.5 sacks, cornerback Jeremiah Jordan anchored a defensive backfield that led the nation in passing yards allowed and Kendale Allen averaged 24.5 yards per kick return.
In addition to Johnson, five Tigers earned First Team honors. Connor Flannigan made the First Team at both wide receiver and return specialist. He caught 37 passes for 413 yards and two touchdowns. His 19.1 yards per punt return average ranks fifth in Division II. Left tackle Dylan Horton placed on the team alongside linebacker Jax Miller, defensive tackle Rovell Carter and punter Tom Weston. Miller’s 88 tackles rank fourth in the GAC. He added 8.5 tackles for loss. Carter’s 12.0 tackles for loss placed fourth in the league while his 5.5 sacks ranked fifth. Weston led the GAC and ranked 12th nationally in punting average.
Led by Barton, five from the potent Mulerider offense garnered First-Team honors. Running backs Kadyn Roach and Jariq Scales made the First Team as well as center Thomas Bowman and left guard Colton Grier. Jariq Scales ranked second to Jay in all-purpose yards with 1,258 yards and 12 total touchdowns. Roach added 951 all-purpose yards and nine touchdowns. The offense ranked seventh in the country and fifth in scoring. On the defensive side, defensive end Dawson Scott and cornerback Melvin Smith, Jr. made the First Team. Scott’s 10.5 sacks led the GAC and ranked fourth in the country. Smith, Jr. ranked second with five interceptions.
Four from Henderson State – left tackle Brandon Bishop, tight end Cayden Davis, wide receiver Timieone Jackson and linebacker Gary Lewis – earned First-Team accolades. Davis caught 22 passes for 430 yards and six touchdowns. His 19.6 yards per catch and six receiving touchdowns pace the GAC. Jackson’s 55 receptions lead the conference while his 466 yards rank fifth. Lewis amassed 13.5 tackles for loss in just eight games.
Arkansas Tech wide receiver Joryian Chase and East Central kicker Brandon Perez filled out the First Team. Chase ranked second in the conference in receptions. His 515 receiving yards rank third. Perez made all 29 of his kicks – 10-for-10 on field goals, with a long of 54, and 19-for-19 on extra points.
The GAC Academic Honor Roll featured a total of 198 student-athletes to have achieved a cumulative grade-point average of 3.50, or higher, combined with at least one year of one-year of full-time college residency.
FAYETTEVILLE – The Arkansas Razorbacks (11-4, 0-2 SEC) remain winless in conference play after a tough 73-66 loss to No. 23 Ole Miss (13-2, 2-0 SEC) on Wednesday night. Despite a strong start and home-court advantage, Arkansas couldn’t hold off the Rebels, who surged ahead in the second half to secure the win.
The Razorbacks opened with a commanding 10-5 lead, setting the tone for a competitive first half. Arkansas led for most of the period until Ole Miss tied the game at 36-36 on a Sean Pedulla three-pointer with just 31 seconds remaining in the half. That shot marked a pivotal moment, as it was the last time Arkansas held a lead in the game.
Coming out of halftime, Matthew Murrell’s layup gave Ole Miss an early advantage in the second half. Although Arkansas guard Boogie Fland quickly answered with a jump shot to tie the game at 38-38, the Rebels responded with a three-pointer from Davon Barnes, putting them ahead for good.
Ole Miss extended its lead in the final moments, with D.J. Wagner’s layup bringing the score to 72-64 with just 21 seconds remaining. Arkansas managed to close the gap slightly, but the Razorbacks couldn’t convert critical opportunities, leaving them with another SEC loss.
For Arkansas, the loss highlights the challenges of conference play and the need for resilience as they seek their first SEC win under legendary coach John Calipari. The Razorbacks will look to regroup and capitalize on their next opportunity to break into the conference win column.
Who: rv/rv Arkansas Razorbacks (11-3, 0-1 SEC) vs #23/22 Ole Miss Rebels (12-2, 1-0 SEC)
What: Arkansas plays its 2025 SEC home opener.
When: Wednesday – Jan. 8 – 6:00 pm (CT)
Where: Fayetteville, Ark. • Bud Walton Arena/Nolan Richardson Court (19,200)
How (to follow):
– TV/Stream: ESPN2 / Watch ESPN (Tom Hart and Dane Bradshaw)
– Radio: Learfield Razorback Sports Network (Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman)
– Sirius/XM: Sirius: 132 / XM: 191 || SXM App Channel 961
– Arkansas Gameday App
– Live Stats
– Arkansas Game Notes
– Ole Miss Game Notes
– SEC Notes/Stats
FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas will host #23/22 Ole Miss on Wednesday (Jan. 8) for the Razorbacks’ 2025 SEC home opener. Tipoff is set for 6 pm (CT) and the game will be televised on ESPN2.
Later this week, Arkansas stays in Fayetteville to host #8 Florida on Saturday (Jan. 11). Tipoff is set for 3 pm.
NOTES:
Versus Ole Miss
- This will be the 87th meeting between Arkansas and Ole Miss. Arkansas owns a 52-34 advantage all-time in the series thanks to an 18-11 mark in games played in Fayetteville and a 24-2 advantage in neutral-site games.
- Since Arkansas joined the SEC, the Razorback lead in the series is just 30-28 as the Hogs have won 9 of the last 12 in the series.
- Ole Miss won the last meeting, 77-51, on Jan. 24, 2024, in Oxford. Arkansas was short-handed in the loss as it was without leading scorer – Tramon Mark (migraine) – for the game and leading rebounder – Trevon Brazile (knee soreness) – missed the second half. Arkansas got off to a slow start with eight turnovers in the first nine minutes but only committed two the rest of the first half and ended with 14 for the game. Ole Miss outscored the Hogs 17-2 on points off turnovers and raced out to a 24-9 lead. However, Arkansas answered with a 14-5 run to cut its deficit to six (29-23) with 4:08 left in the first half. Ole Miss led 38-26 at the break and put the game away midway through the second half with an 8-0 run to go up 63-43 and held at least a 20-point cushion the rest of the way.
Arkansas in SEC Home Openers
- Arkansas will play its first SEC home game Wednesday by hosting Ole Miss.
- The Razorbacks are 20-13 all-time in SEC home openers.
- Arkansas is 4-4 when Ole Miss is the first home SEC game.
Razorbacks Are Pretty Good Shooting Overall
- Arkansas ranks 9th in the NCAA (2nd in the SEC) in overall field goal percentage at 50.7% while ranking 19th in the NCAA (3rd SEC) in effective FG% (57.3%).
Less of a Threat
- Arkansas is holding its opponents to 29.6% shooting from 3-point range. As good as that sounds, it ranks only 9th in the SEC but does rank 53rd in the NCAA.
Block Party
- Arkansas has blocked at least five shots nine times this season and ranks 5th nationally in blocked shots, averaging 6.0 per game.
For more information on Arkansas Men’s Basketball, follow @RazorbackMBB on X.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – In their SEC opener, top-ranked Tennessee leveraged its rebounding prowess and perimeter shooting to defeat #23 Arkansas 76-52 on Saturday afternoon at Thompson-Boling Arena. The Volunteers out-rebounded the Razorbacks 51-29 and converted 10-of-26 three-point attempts to maintain their top-ranking status. Chaz Lanier led the charge for Tennessee, scoring 29 points, including five three-pointers, while Igor Milicic Jr. contributed a double-double with 13 points and an impressive 18 rebounds.
Despite Arkansas shooting 38% from the field and delivering a strong defensive showing with 10 blocked shots, the Razorbacks struggled on the boards, conceding 24 offensive rebounds to Tennessee. The Volunteers’ ability to capitalize on second-chance opportunities proved critical, as they recorded 18 assists on their 28 made baskets compared to Arkansas’ nine assists on 20 field goals. The game marked Arkansas’ first time losing the second half this season, as Tennessee extended its lead after halftime to secure the win.
In the first half, Arkansas held an early 12-9 lead before Tennessee’s 14-2 run shifted the momentum. The Razorbacks faced scoring droughts and struggled from the free-throw line, going just 3-of-8 compared to Tennessee’s 7-of-8. Tennessee dominated the boards, out-rebounding Arkansas 27-12 in the first half, and entered the break with a 42-27 lead. Chaz Lanier scored 14 of his game-high 29 points in the opening period, while D.J. Wagner led Arkansas with eight points, contributing to his season-high 17-point performance.
The second half saw both teams struggle offensively, with Tennessee shooting 37.5% and Arkansas 34.5% from the field. However, the Volunteers continued to excel from beyond the arc, making 5-of-12 three-pointers compared to Arkansas’ 2-of-17. Tennessee’s lead never dipped below 13 points, thanks to timely three-pointers and contributions from Lanier, who added 15 points in the second half. Jonas Aidoo also made an impact in the period, recording all five of his rebounds and four points.
The loss drops Arkansas to 10-4 overall and 0-1 in SEC play, while Tennessee improves to 14-0 and 1-0 in the conference. The Razorbacks will look to bounce back as they return to Bud Walton Arena for a two-game homestand starting with Ole Miss on Wednesday, January 8, at 6 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN2, offering Arkansas a chance to regroup and refocus after a challenging start to conference play.
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