Zvonimir Ivisic’s takes his scoring inside, powers Arkansas basketball past LSU

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FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas basketball assistant coach Chin Coleman has a simple explanation for Zvonimir Ivisic’s torrid run of scoring across the past two games.

“Sometimes, good offense beats good defense,” Coleman said.

Ivisic’s offense was great Wednesday night. The 7-foot-2 sophomore poured home 25 points — one game after scoring a career-high 27 — and powered the Razorbacks (15-9, 4-7 SEC) to a 70-58 win over LSU (12-12, 1-10).

Ivisic came out of the gates with confidence brimming after his performance against Alabama on Saturday. He took three of the Hogs’ first six shots and knocked down his first 3-pointer of the night. He’s made eight triples in the past two games.

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But for Coleman, who spoke to the media after Wednesday’s win as John Calipari fights an illness, Ivisic’s ability to diversify his scoring is what’s maximizing the Croatian’s offensive output.

“I was so excited and happy for Z that he didn’t just love the 3,” Coleman said. “He liked the 3 some tonight, and he loved the rim as well.”

Seven of Ivisic’s 10 field goals came inside the paint. He had a pair of quick hooks over LSU centers, but he also capitalized on the Tigers’ defensive scheme. LSU did a lot of switching when Ivisic was involved in a pick-and-pop, and that would quickly prompt the center to go crash the paint.

Feb 12, 2025; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks forward Zvonimir Ivisic (44) dunks in front of LSU Tigers guard Jordan Sears (1) and forward Corey Chest (11) during the first half at Bud Walton Arena. Arkansas won 70-58. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-Imagn Images

There were easy points to be found once he got there, and the Arkansas guards succeeded in getting him the basketball. D.J. Wagner had seven assists and Billy Richmond had four, but seven of their 11 combined assists went to…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/zvonimir-ivisics-takes-scoring-inside-093230492.html

Author : Ft. Smith Southwest Times Record

Publish date : 2025-02-13 09:32:00

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