FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Despite a strong first half, the Golden Grizzlies fell to the No. 23 Razorbacks, 92-62, tonight inside Bud Walton Arena.

The Golden Grizzlies (4-10, 1-2 HL) were led by Buru Naivalurua who recorded a new career-high in points with 18 (9-of-15), as he nearly recorded a double-double with a game-high nine rebounds. Allen Mukeba was close behind with 17 points (7-of-13) as he brought down six rebounds.

The No. 23 Razorbacks (11-2, 0-0 SEC) saw two players record 22 points as both Boogie Fland and Adou Thiero made eight shots from the floor, with Fland making five from range.

Mukeba got the scoring started in the contest after he retained possession from a jump ball, followed by an up-and-under layup. Play continued to teeter back-and-forth, as neither side saw a lead larger than two. Malcolm Christie got the scoring started from beyond the arc for Oakland as he sank one to put Oakland ahead, 11-10, at the 14:58 mark. The Razorbacks inched ahead and built a lead to four on two separate occasions, but Oakland kept up with the Power-Four team as back-to-back makes from DQ Cole knotted the game up at 17.

The Razorbacks, however, pushed ahead and scored eight-straight points in just over a minute and a half to quickly put Oakland down, 25-17. Behind four-straight free throws from Oakland and a driving layup from Naivalurua, the team halted the run and closed the lead to two. Arkansas answered with a pair of free throws itself, but Mukeba's eighth point of the game was followed up by a Jaylen Jones fastbreak dunk after he got his hands in the passing lane and took it down himself.

The Golden Grizzlies continued to hold its own as Naivalurua made back-to-back layups for the teams first lead since the 14:58 mark as it led, 31-29, with 4:30 to go in the half. To keep with the theme of the first half, the Razorbacks evened things up before it eventually took a one-point lead off a ball from range. Arkansas kept its lead slightly before Naivalurua muscled his way for a turnaround jumper to make it a three-point game with :15 seconds to go, as Cooper Craggs blocked a potential buzzer beater to head into the half down, 42-39.

The first 20 saw seven lead changes and seven tie games, as both teams shot well from the field. The Razorbacks nearly outshot the Golden Grizzlies, with a .571 clip (16-of-28) from the field opposed to Oakland's .552 mark (16-of-29). The difference maker was from beyond the arc, as Arkansas had a pair more than Oakland. Off the glass, the Razorbacks held a slight edge with 14 compared to the Golden Grizzlies 10.

The Razorbacks opened up the half with a three, but Naivalurua answered with a shot-clock beating hookshot to get the team's first points of the half. The Razorbacks though went on an 11-1 run to put the lead up to double-digits for the first time by either team, before Naivalurua hit yet another turnaround jumper. The Razorbacks scored four quick points as Naivalurua scored his 18th of the night, a new career high.

Cole made his first three of the night to push the deficit to 10, but the Razorbacks had answers as it continued to keep a double digit lead. The Razorbacks continued to push, as the Golden Grizzlies stayed within the 10-19 range, before Arkansas opened things up with a three with 4:54 to go which sparked an 11-0 run, with three-straight from range, as Jeremiah Bembry got a quick two to stop the run.

The lead was too large though as the Razorbacks ended the game on a 20-4 run as the Golden Grizzlies fell, 92-62.

As a whole, the Golden Grizzlies shot at a .400 clip (24-of-60) as the Razorbacks hit at a .603 mark (35-of-58) with 10 makes from three, compared to Oakland's two. The Razorbacks narrowly won off the glass as it brought down 33 boards compared to the Golden Grizzlies 28.

The Golden Grizzlies ring in the new year as it returns to Horizon League play Thursday (Jan. 2) as it'll face Milwaukee inside the OU Credit Union O'rena, slated for 7:00 p.m. ET. All Oakland games this season will be live streamed through audio via 97.1HD-3, The Bet1270 AM (WXYT-AM) & the Audacy App with Neal Ruhl on the call.