PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas – Arkansas was down six (67-61) with 7:02 left and eight (74-66) with just under five minutes to play but #14 North Carolina was able to withstand any threats by the #20 Razorbacks for an 87-72 victory in the third-place game of the 2023 Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis Friday afternoon.

The outcome took a back seat to an injury suffered by Razorback Tramon Mark, who left the game on a stretcher with 1:12 left in the game. The junior was having his best career game with 34 points, making 13-of-17 shots (including 4-of-6 from 3-point range) and had a team-best five rebounds.

North Carolina was down three at halftime but shot 58.6% from the field in the second half while out-rebounding the Razorbacks 20-12 to secure the win.

RJ Davis led North Carolina with 30 points (10-of-10 from the free throw line) with 21 of his points coming in the second half. Harrison Ingram finished with a double-double (13 points and 10 rebounds) and Seth Trimble scored 11, making a pair of key 3-pointers in the second half.

Arkansas closed the first half on a 15-4 run, including an 8-0 spurt that turned into a 12-1 run. Mark scored seven and Layden Blocker had a steal and dunk with three seconds left before the break to put the Hogs up three, 38-35. Mark scored 20 in the first half, going 8-of-8 from the field and making both of his 3-pointers.

Blocker finished with 11 points and three steals.

Up next, Arkansas returns home to host Duke on Wednesday (Nov. 29) in the inaugural SEC-ACC Challenge. Tipoff at Bud Walton Arena is set for 8:15 pm (CT) and the game will be televised on ESPN.

NOTES

• Arkansas starters were Layden Blocker, Davonte Davis, Tramon Mark, Trevon Brazile and Makhi Mitchell.

• Arkansas controlled the tip to start the game.

• Makhi Mitchell scored the first points of the game at 19:40.

• El Ellis and Khalif Battle were the first Razorback subs.

• This was the 11th all-time meeting between the program and all 11 have been on neutral courts. North Carolina leads the series 8-3 and it was the first meeting between the programs in exactly six years (Nov. 34, 2017).

• Tramon Mark scored 25 points in the Stanford win in the tournament opener and he has scored 20-plus in three of his last four. Mark is the 52nd Razorback with 30-plus in a game and it was the 138th time a Razorback had 30-plus points in a game.

• Layden Blocker had three steals in both of his starts in the Battle 4 Atlantis.