FAYETTEVILLE - Arkansas played its biggest game of the season Wednesday night.
Heading into the contest with Mississippi State, the Razorbacks and their fans held out hope this year’s preseason would be different. No, the NCAA Tournament wasn’t within reach, but promise was. With a win and a little luck, Arkansas would clinch the No. 2 seed in the SEC West, earning a first round bye in the league tournament next week in Atlanta.
Even longtime Bulldogs coach Rick Stansbury sensed the urgency for the Razorbacks.
“It’s the first time that we’ve come up here in a long, long time where I felt like Arkansas was playing for something, too,” Stansbury said. “Tonight they were playing for something just like we were.”
Stansbury was right. Perhaps the best indicator of Arkansas’ fall from basketball glory was the 10,253 that passed through the turnstiles at Bud Walton Arena for the contest. Arkansas’ final average attendance for this season was 8,568 per game, easily the lowest in the venue’s history.
Those that were there were loud, repeatedly on their feet, even in the first half. The crowd likely kept the Razorbacks in the game at times when it appeared Mississippi State might make a run early on.
But in the end, the result was all-too-familiar for the success-starved fans. After hanging tough for about 35 minutes, the Razorbacks gave way late. The final scoreboard read: Mississippi State 88, Arkansas 78.
It wasn’t that the Razorbacks (18-11, 7-8 SEC) played a bad game. Arkansas finished shooting 46 percent from the floor, 75 percent from the free throw line and hit half of its 3-point attempts.
But turnovers and uncharacteristically bad defense killed Arkansas, especially after halftime. The Hogs led 39-35 at the break and increased that lead to as many as eight early in the final frame.
Mississippi State quickly erased the lead by scoring 24 points off 12 Arkansas turnovers. By comparison, the Razorbacks had nine points off eight Bulldogs miscues.
Additionally, the Bulldogs (16-13, 8-7) hit 49 percent of their shots and 21 of 26 free throws.
The game was tied 60-60 with 7:54 remaining, but Mississippi State took the lead for good on back-to-back 3-pointers from Kodi Augustus and Ravern Johnson, sparking a 13-3 run that crippled the Razorbacks.
Arkansas could never sustain any momentum after falling behind as Mississippi State matched the Razorbacks shot-for-shot.
“They made plays,” said Arkansas guard Rotnei Clarke, who finished with a team-high 24 points, “but there were plays we didn’t make that let the game get out of hand at the end.
“The game was never over. We just didn’t make plays at the end we could have made.”
The loss seemingly killed momentum the Razorbacks had built after back-to-back close wins over Kentucky and Auburn. Arkansas had won four of five entering the game, granted three were over Florida A&M, LSU and Auburn, teams with a combined 33-56 record.
Now Arkansas looks ahead to its season finale at Ole Miss Saturday. Up for grabs in the division’s third seed in the SEC Tournament, which the Razorbacks had last year.
Yes, Arkansas has improved as evidenced by its 18 wins to this point in the season after winning only 14 each of the last two years. But statistical progress doesn’t equal long-term promise.
Alongside an important conference game, promise was on the line Wednesday. Arkansas didn’t win either.
For more visit WholeHogSports.com. You can follow Matt Jones on Twitter @NWAMatt.
You can’t get excited about this team…..because as soon as you do, they do this. I like Perphrey as a person, but it’s time to go. Fire him as soon as the season ends and hire a big name and you probably keep the recruiting class, because all those guys are coming for the school…not the coach. They ALL have ties to Arkanasas, so you are not going to lose them. THE TIME HAS COME.
Reality is that Arkansas is just not there. They don’t have the character, the drive or the intestinal fortitude to win in clutch games. Unlike teams of the past. We just have to resolve that Arkansas basketball has not returned to prominence and will not until all the pieces of this puzzle are in place. A coach that can instill in them the desire and want to win. a team that can play for 40 minutes night in and night out. The ability to fight off a run from good opponents and the ability to get the Hogs back into the tournament frequently.
Maybe better days await us. Best wishes for a future that will only get brighter for the Razorback nation!!!!!!!
Let’s move on to baseball season!!!
GO HOGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Very well said Scott J. Everything we do not have starts at the top. You can’t tell me a good coach could not have taken our boys and run Miss. St. out of town last night !! Fan support is at a “all time” low for the basketball program ! If you think putting all this on the backs of a couple of freshman next year to turn it around and save Pel’s job is going to work, think again. The time for change is now !
For once, and I hate to say this…but I didn’t care if Arkansas won or lost. Here’s why…they are not coached well and when we win a couple, people start thinking…hmmmmm, maybe CJP is a good coach, this team is awesome, going to make the NCAA tournament etc…are you serious? We won a couple…they were good games, but CJP is not a good coach, we have no heart, we don’t have a snowball’s chance to make the tourny (only if we won the SEC, which we won’t), SEC is a weak conference, and we may not even make the NIT.
So for once, I wanted everyone that jumped on the wagon these last few games, to jump back into reality. Right now my main wish for Arkansas, is that they fire a coach and hire a new coach, whether that’s Mike Anderson or not, it’s long overdue.
I hear that we have no talent, but a coach is suppose to make those that have avg talent, better…all I see is our players regressing. Powell, has no heart (if he does, he didn’t bring it last night) and his relationship with the coach seems to be the problem. A good coach prepares his players to play better and CJP does not get the best from his players, not even close. Time to end this season and era, and move on to something better.
We all want a top notch program no matter which way we lean on a coaching change! Something is going to happen, Pel leaves or stays? If he leaves, the new coach might be perceived as a so so, promising young gun, grizzly vetern wanting another opportunity at the big time, proven big time winner, whatever! One thing is certain, Hog Ball is at a crossroads and it’s gonna take all out support from everyone to get to the promised land!
hogfan1509, well said
They got a lot more support in this game than they have been and guess what, Pel still cant coach. Things he dose, like repeatedly putting in a player who dismantles the teams rhythem while in the lead to put you down and to do it over and over makes me wonder if he is even watching the game.
Bring back Nolan Richardson and we will have success. He may have stirred up some things with his whole “Frank Broyles is the the white haired devil” comment but he won. You can’t argue with success!!!!! I think him being fired when he thought he was untouchable probably taught him a lesson. I’m sure it has weighed on hisk mind these past 11 years. Bring him back and let the good times roll. Go HOGS and WPS!!!!!
HOGS TARGET MARK TURGEON TO REPLACE PELPHREY