FAYETTEVILLE - They don’t always play well, but you have to tip your hat to Arkansas for always playing hard.
The Razorbacks were the tougher team in Bud Walton Arena on Saturday, overcoming a rough start to down Alabama 70-65. With the win, Arkansas snapped the Crimson Tide’s six-game winning streak.
Alabama led by as many as 10 points in the first half, but a 6-0 run just before halftime pulled the Razorbacks within 33-29 at the intermission.
The Crimson Tide repeatedly extended the lead throughout the second half, but Arkansas continued to chip away. Though they had several chances prior, the Razorbacks never took the lead until a Marshawn Powell dunk with 2:07 remaining made it Arkansas 64, Alabama 63.
Alabama quickly regained the lead on a pair of Trevor Releford free throws, but the Razorbacks took the lead for good on Rotnei Clarke’s runner with 55.1 seconds remaining. Displaying the strength of its team, Arkansas made three crucial defensive stops in the final minute, with steals on consecutive possessions by Julysses Nobles, Marcus Britt and Mardracus Wade.
The Razorbacks forced 14 turnovers for the game, nine of which came on steals.
“We just battled,” said Marshawn Powell, who finished with a team-high 17 points. “We continued to battle until the clock said zero, and we came out with a ‘W.’”
It was a nice turnaround after a puzzling loss at LSU earlier in the week; a loss that looked even worse after the Tigers lost by 38 points to Kentucky on Saturday. In that game, Arkansas looked out of sync for the entire first half on both sides of the ball.
While the shots weren’t falling early on against Alabama, the Razorbacks held the Crimson Tide to 40 percent shooting in the first half. In addition, Arkansas paraded to the free throw line, hitting 10 of 12 charity tosses before the break.
“I thought Alabama controlled the game all day long,” Arkansas coach John Pelphrey said. “We were just fortunate to hang in there and really kind of catch them at the end.”
Playing at home was also a factor. A season-high 13,033 fans showed up to watch the game at Bud Walton Arena, where the Razorbacks improved to 11-0 this season.
“This is a difficult place to play,” Alabama coach Anthony Grant said. “They were loud and were definitely a difference today.”
With the win, Arkansas moved into a tie for first place in the SEC West. Next up is a two-game road swing at South Carolina on Wednesday and Florida next weekend.
For more visit WholeHogSports.com. You can follow Matt Jones on Twitter @NWAMatt.
Nice win. They just have to continue to put that weird LSU loss behind them. I like the way this team fights.
Good win. Yet, there is still a mental block involving games away from home. I remember when Corliss and Scotty seemed to thrive on going to someone else’s “house” and silencing the crowd. There’s a certain mental toughness thing or mindset. Players like Clark, Sanchez, Peterson and Powell need to step up. Get over it. Win AWAY from home. Go Hogs!
Hogs showed their toughness, against LSU as well. Hope they can learn from these games and play better throughout the games! Like the fight they are showing! Good win! Go Hogs!
I will take it. Bottom line is that they kept fighting and playing competitively. These kids can ball, lets not write them off as un-talented, and let’s not let Coach Pel off the hook with a free pass to next year. He has just got to Coach these kids to play the fullest to their talents and capability. He can start by letting the player’s ball and free lance after steals and pushing the ball up the court to attack the basket.
WPS!!!
I was at the LSU game. The hogs looked good in th 2nd half, awful in the 1st half. I specifically watch how Clarke moves through the offense. He goes side line to side line o. The court Know picks being set for him other than a minimal one as he crosses th lane . He’s arguably the best shooter in college basketball yet we if he gets an open shot it is because of good spacing not forcing the action to get him open bi don’t understand it!!!
Good win Hogs.. Must get better on the boards, grabbing less than 30 rebounds is worrisome. Low turnovers is a positive. Powell is getting better. Nobles was less of a quick trigger. Hogs must step their scoring in First half. Should not rely on Clarke.. The interior play is more vital. Higher percentage shots, more free throw opportunities and relying on the play of Johnson and Powell. Assists are still low.. Defense is has been firm mostly.. Cutting down opponents rebounds numbers is needed. Tough road games ahead, players better get their mental game in hand. Take better care of the first half and you won’t have to play as much catch up second half.
Better team than last yr, but still lacking in floor leadership aside from quicker adaptive coaching strategy.
In their second half offense, our players they used the shot clock better and passed the ball several times before they took their shots.
In the first half so often they passed the ball only one time and then took a shot. It takes several offensive passes to get “the best” shot/look (Just any open shot won’t do. They need the best shots).
There is such a thing as winning despite the coaching and that is what i seen in this game. I fear for certain we will go 1-4 in our next 5 and I say this with respect for the players, but I know the coaching that lies ahead for all the next games.
rmmr
I am still chuckling with your post
You forced me to research this a little further.
I think you are on point with your first sentence. I am not a Coach Pel basher per se, but it is hard to be objective about the coaching position without being critical and very disappointed to simply impatient with Pel. I am not a BB coach, but I do believe if I were handed the job 4 years ago, given the assistants surrounding me, I would have the exact same team playing with more fun, excitement & winning better.
With that said, it ain’t all that bad as your second sentence concludes. I will go on record as saying Hawgs go 3 – 2 with Coach Pels help, and despite his help
My predictions:
Lose @ USC
Win @ Florida
Win at home against Auburn (our first sellout by the way)
Lose @ Vandy (no rationale; but expect just some dumb things to happen)
Win at home against Georgia.
I think we will be good enough to make the NCAA and win once; but Pel’s performance target should be to win twice.
I think our defense is NCAA tournament ready, our offense on the other hand needs to do a better job of playing smart and taking the best shot possible. IMO that starts with the coach…
Georgia is a very talented team as well it is coached well, I pick them to maybe be the suprise team in the east as well as going the furthest in the big dance from the sec, and I know Florida is a much better game coached team than Arkansas, I pick Auburn as our only win in next 5. But I hope you are right Texas Hog.
Your high if you think the hogs will make the ncaa’s this year. Any basketball team can win a few games here and there because a guy gets on a hot shooting streak or whatever. — But its exactly as rmmr said, the games they do win are in spite of the horrible coaching.
I just dont get why they let someone who is so obviously unqualified to remain the coach for years. It was pretty obvious his second year that he was cluless. I mean how long do you commit to a guy who was way over his head from the beggining? What the heck is Long thinking? He keeps him around for graduation purposes? — So he’s a glorified guidance counselor? I mean what the heck is up this Long guy? I dont get it.