# SEC Men's Basketball: Virginia Cavaliers Dominates Arkansas Razorbacks 91-72 **Published:** 2026-11-08 — **By:** Stacy Stanfield **Category:** games — **Type:** game-recap **Source:** https://secscouts.com/news/sec-men-s-basketball-virginia-cavaliers-dominates-arkansas-razorbacks-91-72 **Teams:** [Arkansas](https://secscouts.com/arkansas/) **Players:** [Miikka Muurinen](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/5185443/miikka-muurinen), [Billy Richmond III](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/5060732/billy-richmond-iii), [Jordan Smith Jr.](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/5142729/jordan-smith-jr), [Jeremiah Wilkinson](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/5165276/jeremiah-wilkinson) --- WASHINGTON, D.C. (11/07/2026) — The Virginia Cavaliers delivered a commanding performance from wire to wire, riding a balanced scoring attack and a dominant first-half surge to defeat the Arkansas Razorbacks 91-72 at Capital One Arena in front of 10,977 fans. ## Result Four Virginia players reached double figures as the Cavaliers posted a 19-point victory, outrebounding Arkansas 40-36 and committing just 9 turnovers compared to 15 for the Razorbacks. Thijs De Ridder and Sam Lewis each scored 16 points to co-lead Virginia, while Johann Grunloh added 15 and Chance Mallory chipped in 15 points and 6 assists. ## How It Happened Arkansas drew first blood, with Miikka Muurinen converting from the free-throw line to give the Razorbacks an early lead. Virginia quickly reversed course. Mallory's assist to Grunloh on a driving layup at the 15:41 mark gave the Cavaliers a 7-6 edge, and Sam Lewis extended it immediately with a 24-foot three-pointer to push it to 10-6. Arkansas stayed competitive through the first half's midpoint — Jordan Smith Jr. powered home a dunk at the 6:05 mark to cut it to 27-20 and keep the Razorbacks within reach. But Virginia answered with a withering closing run. Favour Ibe converted a dunk off a Kalu Anya assist, Grunloh then slammed home another, Lewis followed with a dunk of his own, and Mallory capped the flurry with a 26-foot three-pointer. Virginia carried a 46-27 halftime lead into the locker room after outscoring Arkansas 19-7 over the final four-plus minutes of the half. The second half opened with Virginia refusing to relent. Nolan Adekunle stepped back and drained a 23-footer on the game's first possession to push the advantage to 49-27. Arkansas trimmed it briefly — Wilkinson hit a three at 18:10, Muurinen answered from deep at 16:55 — but Elijah Gertrude halted every Razorback run. Gertrude hit a step-back three-point jumper at 16:10 to push it back to 21, then added a dunk at 13:26 to extend it to 20. Sam Lewis delivered the finishing blows with back-to-back three-pointers at the 10:38 and 9:34 marks to push the lead to 74-47 and render the final minutes academic. ## Turning Point Virginia's closing burst to end the first half ended any realistic path for Arkansas. The Cavaliers reeled off a decisive run over the final minutes of the opening period — Ibe's dunk, Grunloh's slam, Lewis's conversion, and Mallory's late three turned a 9-point deficit for the Razorbacks into a 19-point mountain at the break. That sequence not only erased Arkansas's foothold in the game but established the tone for a second half that Virginia controlled from the opening possession. ## Star of the Game Thijs De Ridder anchored Virginia's interior with a double-double: 16 points and 10 rebounds, providing both scoring and board presence throughout. Sam Lewis matched him with 16 points, connecting on multiple threes in the second half when Arkansas made its push. Chance Mallory served as the offensive catalyst, finishing with 15 points, 3 rebounds, and 6 assists — his vision and three-point shooting kept the Cavaliers ahead on multiple possessions. For Arkansas, Jordan Smith Jr. led all scorers with 19 points and 3 assists. Billy Richmond III added 11 points and 7 rebounds, showing the versatility to impact the game on both ends. Muurinen and Wilkinson each added 11 points as the Razorbacks kept their offense moving in the second half. ## What It Means Virginia's performance signals the Cavaliers as a team capable of doing real damage in non-conference play. Their ball movement was decisive — 18 assists on the night against just 9 turnovers — and their ability to generate balanced contributions from four players creates matchup problems that few teams can solve. The rebounding edge only reinforced their control. For the Arkansas Razorbacks, the defeat offers early-season context. The Razorbacks shot 46% from the field — matching Virginia's efficiency — and held their own statistically in stretches. The turnover differential and Virginia's first-half surge were the separating factors. With Smith Jr., Richmond III, and multiple contributors demonstrating scoring range, Arkansas has the pieces to build on as conference play draws closer. --- *Original article: [SEC Men's Basketball: Virginia Cavaliers Dominates Arkansas Razorbacks 91-72](https://secscouts.com/news/sec-men-s-basketball-virginia-cavaliers-dominates-arkansas-razorbacks-91-72) — SEC Scouts*