Arkansas wins in Calipari's return to Kentucky

John Calipari got the last laugh against his former program as Arkansas defeated Kentucky 89-79 in his highly anticipated return to Rupp Arena on Saturday night.

Adou Thiero led the way for the Hogs with 21 points and eight boards. The junior guard was one of three ex-Wildcats to register double digits in scoring.

DJ Wagner and Zvonimir Ivisic chipped in 17 and 14 points, respectively.

Calipari left Kentucky last April following a 15-year run at the helm. The Hall of Famer had great praise for his successor, Mark Pope, following the contest.

"What Kentucky is doing and how they're doing it - Mark Pope is doing a great job. Not just a good job, a great job," Calipari told reporters, according to Tyler Thompson of Kentucky Sports Radio. "We kind of got them today. Move on. This was one game. That's all. If anyone takes it more than that, they're crazy. ... We just needed to win today."

Calipari's squad had one of its finest offensive performances of the season, shooting 55% from the field and knocking down 13 triples. Arkansas also outscored Kentucky 18-5 in fast-break points.

Amari Williams had 22 points and 11 boards for the Wildcats in a losing cause.

Kentucky's second-leading scorer, Lamont Butler, missed his second straight game due to injury.

The Razorbacks improved to 2-6 in SEC play and 13-8 overall.

Saturday's victory could be pivotal for the Hogs' NCAA Tournament hopes, as they were 1-7 against Quad 1 teams entering the tilt in Lexington.

"There are two or three games that we should have been able to finish," Calipari told ESPN postgame. "We played with more confidence because they played fearless, and I was coaching that way. And so I'm proud of them. Good win on the road. Hard game to win in this building. I've been here, so it's a hard game to win."