FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Dantez Walton scored 30 points and recorded his second double-double of the season for Northern Kentucky, but NKU couldn't get over the hump in the closing seconds of a 66-60 setback at Arkansas. With the loss, NKU slips to 5-3 on the year while Arkansas improves to 7-0.
 
Stats Leaders

• Walton reached the 30-point plateau for the second time in the last three games, tallying a game-high 30 behind 10-for-14 shooting. It's also his second 30-point double-double in the same time frame as the senior also corralled a team-high 11 rebounds. Walton was also active on the defensive end, swiping a game-best four steals and blocking four shots, the latter of which established a new career high.
• Trevon Faulkner finished the evening with 14 points and four assists.
• Tyler Sharpe contributed 10 points, three rebounds and a pair of assists.

 
Turning Point

• Northern Kentucky missed a pair of threes in the final 14 seconds and Arkansas sealed the Norse's fate with four free throws.

 
First Half Summary

• Arkansas hit the first basket of the game, but Northern Kentucky responded with the next eight and forced the Razorbacks to call timeout.
• The Norse pushed out to a nine-point margin, 13-4, and weathered a run by the Razorbacks to knot the score at 15. But, NKU responded with an 8-1 run.
• With the Norse leading by five, 28-23, with 4:18 remaining, the Razorbacks closed the half with the final 10 points to lead 33-28 at intermission.
• NKU converted 39 percent from both the floor (10-of-26) and long range (5-of-13), while 45 percent from the floor (13-of-31) but just 20 percent (2-of-10) from 3-point range.
• Walton led the first-half scoring with 15 points on 6-for-8 shooting. He also grabbed five boards.
• Faulkner tallied eight points and four assists in the stanza.

 
Second Half Summary

• NKU kept the margin around five for much of the second half, but seven-straight points for Arkansas saw the deficit grow to 10. The Razorbacks pushed out by as many as 12 with 8:49 remaining.
• NKU answered with an 8-0 run. Faulkner contributed four points, while Walton and Sharpe each added a pair.
• Trailing 61-56 with 2:45 left, Walton scored four-straight to make it a one-point contest with just 23 seconds on the clock.
• After Arkansas made a free throw, Adham Eleeda got a great look from the corner, but the shot rimmed out. The Razorbacks made a pair of free throws to go ahead by four before NKU had a Faulkner three rim out as well. Arkansas closed the game with another two free throws. 

 
Game Notes

• Walton has now scored 20 or more points in four of the last five games, including three of the last four against DI competition. In those four games, he's averaging 26.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.
• Walton was named to the Collegiate Hoops Roadshow All-Tournament Team after averaging 29 points and 9.7 rebounds per game against NKU's three Division I opponents in the event (Coppin State, Texas Southern and Arkansas).
• NKU finished the game shooting 39 percent (20-of-51) from the floor and 33 percent (8-of-24) from three. Arkansas entered the game with the nation's leading 3-point field-goal defense, allowing foes to hit just 14 percent from long range.
• Prior to tonight's game, no team had converted more than three made treys against Arkansas as they've only allowed 13 made threes in six games played. NKU finished with eight.
• The Razorbacks also boasted the nation's third-best scoring defense, allowing teams to post just 50.0 ppg entering tonight's contest. NKU's 60 points are the second-most allowed by Arkansas this season as Georgia Tech totaled 61.
• Both teams finished with 12 turnovers, but NKU picked plucked 10 Razorback turnovers by virtue of steals.

 
Next Up
Northern Kentucky faces tri-state foe Miami (Ohio) in a Tuesday night match-up in Oxford, Ohio. The Redhawks' Millet Hall hosts the Dec. 3 contest with tip-off slated for 7 p.m.