Arkansas Sports 360 - ArkansasSports360.com

12/21/2011 at 8:40am

Why Arkansas Won

Arkansas (7-3) made 14 more free throws than the Colonels (7-6), and won the game by 14 points. Most of that difference came in the first half, when the Razorbacks connected on 17 of 18 attempts from the stripe and built a lead that was never threatened in the second half. 

Mardracus Wade said after the game that Coach Mike Anderson has them shoot 500 free throws a week, and while that effort may not have been apparent in Arkansas’ last game, it was very much on display against Eastern Kentucky. Arkansas also had a 25-10 advantage in points off turnovers, forcing 19.

Turning Point

The Razorbacks found themselves trailing 9-2 just over four minutes into the game, but quickly tied the game on a 7-0 spurt over the course of just 1:18 that included five points by Julysses Nobles. The two teams spent the next few minutes dueling until BJ Young dropped in an easy layup after a slick spin move to give Arkansas the 15-14 lead they would never relinquish.

Player of the Game

In a game that was decided by being successful at the free-throw line, no one was there more often than Mardracus Wade. He led the team with 13 points and was 7 of 10 from the line. Wade had three offensive rebounds (four total) and also tacked an assist and a steal onto his stat line. 

It’s also hard not to include Marvell Waithe in this space. He only played 14 minutes but Waithe made sure they counted.  He scored 11 points, 7 of which came from the free-throw line, and connected on two of his three attempts from the field. 

“I was happy to see Marvell put another game together,” Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson said afterward.

Adjustments Made; Adjustments Failed

Normally, taking shots closer to the basket results in a higher shooting percentage. The Colonels took 25 shots in each half. In the first, 17 of Eastern Kentucky’s 25 field goal attempts were from long range, making 6 and shooting 36 percent overall. The Colonels only shot eight three pointers in the second half, but their overall shooting percentage was 4 percent lower than the first half.

Struggle to Open, Struggle to Close

The Razorbacks overcame an early deficit, and built up a lead that went as high as 19 points in the second half. But the Hogs appeared to coast from that point on and let the Colonels back into the game, cutting the lead to 10 with 3:10 to go. However, the Arkansas defense held Eastern Kentucky to only one point in the final minutes. Learning to win close games was a theme of the team’s comments after the game.

Speaking Out

“I don’t think we’re bad shooters.”

– Marvell Waithe on the team’s improvement from the free-throw line.

“When you get an ant down, you better kill it with a sledgehammer.”

– Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson on the team allowing Eastern Kentucky to cut into the lead late in the game.

Up Next

Arkansas plays its third game in six days at home versus Louisiana Tech (7-5) at 7 p.m. Thursday.

Tagged: Marvell Waithe, Mardracus Wade, Mike Anderson , Arkansas Razorbacks