No. 10 Arkansas men's basketball bullies Charlotte on the boards to start 9-0

FAYETTEVILLE — No. 10 Arkansas extended its winning streak to nine Tuesday night with an 86-66 win over Charlotte (4-4). It's Arkansas' second straight 9-0 start under coach Eric Musselman.

Jaylin Williams had a career-high 15 points along with eight rebounds, and JD Notae had a 23-point, 10-rebound double-double to lead Arkansas in both metrics.

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Second chances

Arkansas' performance on the boards was the high point of the game. Notae led the way overall, and Au'Diese Toney led Arkansas with three offensive rebounds. In the first half, he had six rebounds in 7 minutes of play, including three consecutive.

By halftime, Arkansas had 11 offensive rebounds and 11 defensive rebounds. Those offensive boards gave Arkansas the edge in what was a close game early. In the first half, 14 of the Razorbacks' 41 points came on second chances. Arkansas outrebounded Charlotte 41-21 and 15-4 on the offensive glass.

Shooting woes

Arkansas struggled from 3-point range, continuing an early season trend. The Razorbacks shot 23% from beyond the arc, worse than in their last game (30%). However, they attempted fewer 3-pointers (13) against Charlotte, instead relying on inside scoring and those second-chance points.

Also working in Arkansas' favor was what Musselman calls "spurtability" — its ability to go on runs. Arkansas put together a 15-4 run to start pulling away in the first half, including one made 3-pointer by Chris Lykes.

Defensive effort

Arkansas' defense looked strong, with nine steals — four from Notae — and three blocks.

Its 3-point defense, which has been a point of emphasis, looked better; Charlotte shot 25% from deep. Still, Charlotte's 3-point percentage was 34% coming into Tuesday's game, and it made back-to-back 3s late in the second half to cut Arkansas' lead to nine. Arkansas responded with a 13-2 run to seal the win.

Next up

Arkansas travels to play Oklahoma at the BOK Center in Tulsa (12:30 p.m. CT, ESPN2).

Christina Long covers the Arkansas Razorbacks. You can email her at clong@swtimes.com or follow her on Twitter @christinalong00.

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Arkansas men's basketball bullies Charlotte on the boards to start 9-0