Delvon Johnson led the way with 15 points and 10 rebounds and Marshawn Powell added 17 points as Arkansas pulled away from Mississippi Valley State, 87-64, Wednesday.

The Razorbacks had some problems on defense in the first half, allowing the Delta Devils to shoot 52 percent (16-of-31) from the floor. They still managed to take a 43-38 lead into the break, however, thanks to 13 points and eight boards from Johnson and an 11-3 advantage on the offensive glass.

Arkansas picked it up in the second half, opening with a 24-9 run to make it a 67-47 with under eight minutes left.

The Razorbacks have four games left before Southeastern Conference play kicks off with No. 7 Tennessee on January 8. Two of those are against strong Big 12 teams - Texas A&M and Texas - that should give Arkansas a nice picture of where it is heading into the SEC.

Mississippi Valley State (1-8) has played a brutal schedule thus far, playing at home just once in the first month. It doesn’t get any easier, with four more in a row on the road, including No. 16 Kentucky on Saturday.