JJ Andrews made scoring look easy Monday night and so did his teammates.
Andrews finished with a 15-point 13-rebound double-double as Arkansas ran past Toros del Valle 91-49 at the BahaMar Convention Center in Nassau.
Jordan Smith Billy Richmond and Davion Thompson also scored in double figures alongside Andrews as the Hogs put together their most complete offensive stretch of the trip.
Arkansas outscored Toros del Valle 54-20 in the second half and made it look almost effortless once the Razorbacks settled in.
That kind of scoring burst is exactly what these exhibition games are built for.
Toros del Valle plays professionally in Colombia and came in as the reigning Apertura champion but the Razorbacks are still weeks away from facing the kind of length speed and structure they’ll see once SEC play starts.
Games like this let Arkansas work out its offense against defenses that can’t fully simulate a Power Four opponent which is likely why John Calipari scheduled four of them in the Bahamas before the real thing begins.
Caleb Ourigou made his first start of the trip and joined Jeremiah Wilkinson Andrews Smith Richmond and Thompson in combining for the first 23 points of the second half.
That group turned a 37-29 halftime lead into a run that put the game away in a hurry.
“I would just say defense intensity [improved] in the second half,” Thompson said. “Just guarding the ball. Our offense was slow in the first half but obviously we picked it up…. We guarded the 3-point line and held them accountable.”
Building habits more than measuring opponents
The first half didn’t come as easily. Arkansas jumped ahead 8-0 early but Toros del Valle answered with an 8-2 run to cut it to 16-10.
Maper Maker forced a shot-clock violation and threw down a dunk coming out of the under-12 minute timeout to swing things back in Arkansas’s favor.
Bruiser Flint ran the team Monday as Arkansas’s rotating assistant head coach while Calipari watched from press row evaluating players and staff from a distance rather than running the huddle himself.
“This tournament is about learning so you’re going to get better at the things each game,” Flint said. “That’s what we talk about.”
Arkansas also turned the ball over nine times in the first half five by Richmond alone before cleaning things up to finish with 12 total giveaways.
“It was just sloppy in the first half,” Flint said. “A lot of unforced turnovers…. We just talked about taking care of the ball at halftime. Just take care of the ball better that’s it. We take care of the ball better then we’ll push the lead out.”
Offense flows freely against willing, but over-matched foe
Leonardo Salazar gave Toros del Valle a spark early with 17 points and five 3-pointers in the first half but he didn’t score again after the break.
Once Arkansas’s defense adjusted the Razorbacks forced 26 turnovers held their opponent to 31% shooting and piled up 14 steals and 3 blocks.
Smith capped the run with a poster dunk that drew the loudest cheers of the night from the traveling Arkansas fans in attendance.
Monday’s game was also the most physical the Hogs have played in Nassau which Ourigou said didn’t bother a roster built with its own share of size and strength.
“I think we did pretty good [with the physicality],” Ourigou said. “We have some physical guys too so it’s not that much of a gap. If we’re all physical it really won’t show that the other team is physical.”
Monday’s win was Arkansas’s third in Nassau after beating the Bahamas national team 106-59 on Friday and defending Canadian national champion Carleton University 98-58 on Saturday.
The scores have been lopsided across the board which fits the purpose of these games better than it reflects what the Razorbacks will face once the regular season tips off.
Arkansas closes out its Bahamas trip Tuesday against the University of Calgary at 11 a.m. at BahaMar.
Calgary qualified for the 2026 U Sports Final 8 and finished as national runner-up in 2025.
Key takeaways
- JJ Andrews posted a 15-point 13-rebound double-double as Arkansas’s offense flowed freely all night
- The lopsided scores in Nassau reflect the purpose of these games more than what Arkansas will see in SEC play
- The Hogs close out their Bahamas trip Tuesday against Calgary at 11 a.m.
