Chris Lykes scored 26 points to lead six Arkansas players in double figures as the 16th-ranked Razorbacks defeated Northern Iowa 93-80 on Wednesday night in Fayetteville, Ark.

JD Notae had 17 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for the Razorbacks, who completed a season-opening, three-game homestand unblemished.

Au'Diese Toney (13 points), Jaylin Williams (11), Davonte Davis (10) and Stanley Umude (10) also contributed to the Arkansas offense. Umude led the team with nine boards while Williams added seven assists and six rebounds.

An AJ Green 3-pointer gave Northern Iowa a 78-77 lead with 3:13 to go, but the Razorbacks never trailed after that, closing the game on a 16-2 run. Williams' putback layup with 2:42 left put Arkansas ahead for good, and the hosts began to pull away with a Toney trey on the ensuing possession.

Trae Berhow led the Panthers (1-3) with 23 points, going 7-for-11 from 3-point range as Northern Iowa shot 17-for-37 (45.9 percent) from deep. Green and Nate Heise chipped in 16 points apiece, while Heise matched Berhow with a team-best six rebounds. The Panthers missed seven of their last eight shots to close the game.

Davis shot 4-for-8 from the field before he was ejected for a Flagrant 2 foul with 14:55 left in the game. Davis shoulder-shoved an opponent following an Arkansas turnover. Berhow swished both free throws to bring the Panthers to within 49-48.

A Berhow trey with 13:10 to go tied the game at 55, and he hit another 3-pointer with 8:13 left to knot things at 66.

Arkansas led by as many as six in the first half, going ahead 23-17 with 9:45 remaining before intermission as Lykes converted a circus-shot layup. Lykes crossed over his dribble after beginning to drive the lane, then weaved through light contact, which caused him to lose balance.

The ball, however, was another story. Lykes maintained control as he tumbled to the ground, tossing the ball behind his back, off the window and in.

Northern Iowa fell to 18-44 all-time against ranked opponents. The program is searching for its first victory against a Top 25 foe since defeating then-No. 23 Colorado on Dec. 10, 2019.

--Field Level Media