Arkansas Sports 360 - ArkansasSports360.com

1/15/2012 at 7:43am

Arkansas 69, LSU 60

Why Arkansas Won
Coach Mike Anderson described the defensive effort as “great” and the Razorbacks hit 9 of 18 shots from behind the 3-point line. Those two factors were significant in Arkansas (13-5, 2-1) knocking off LSU (11-6, 1-1) and remaining undefeated at Bud Walton Arena. It was a crucial rebound for a young, inexperienced team after suffering a road loss at Ole Miss earlier in the week. LSU committed 16 turnovers and shot just 34.8 percent from the field to aid the Arkansas victory.

Turning Point
LSU closed the gap to 56-52 when guards BJ Young and Julysses Nobles scored on consecutive trips down the floor to extend the lead. Young’s score began when he pulled down a rebound, pushed the ball up the floor and scored despite it being a one-on-5 fast break. Young gave the Razorbacks a 61-52 lead and the Tigers could get no closer than five the rest of the night. 

Player Of The Game
LSU Coach Trent Johnson wouldn’t go into much detail about why he liked BJ Young, but he would concede after the game the 6-foot-2 freshman is a “good player.”

Young was superb at times against the Tigers. He finished with 19 points, hitting 6 of 11 shots in an efficient 22 minute-effort.

Long Distance
Shots inside the 3-point line are supposed to be the higher-percentage opportunities. But it didn’t work that way for Arkansas on Saturday.

Arkansas hit 50-percent from behind the line, but was just 42.3 percent from the field overall. Mardracus Wade was the top long-distance shooter, hitting 3 of 4 to finish with 14 points.

Challenge Accepted
Freshman Devonta Abron struggled to establish himself against Ole Miss. Even at 6-9 he couldn’t pick up a rebound in a loss earlier this week.

Challenged by coaches to do more, Abron followed through. He finished with a game-high 13 rebounds to lead the Razorbacks on the glass.

Arkansas was out-rebounded 46-38. 

Still Going
Hunter Mickelson kept his streak of at least one block per game intact. And then some.

Mickelson, a 6-10 freshman, blocked seven shots against the Tigers. He finished with only one point and four rebounds, but helped set the tone defensively 

Gucci Row
Those pricy courtside chairs at Bud Walton Arena are intended to put fans close to the action. Twice on Saturday fans in those seats, which Anderson refers to as “Gucci Row” got more than they paid for.

An unsuspecting (and possibly distracted) fan was hit in the face by a ball during the first half. A second half collision sent multiple players crashing into the courtside seats and sent a few fans tumbling backwards.

School officials were quick to react in both instances. Neither incident appeared to require medical attention. 

Speaking Out
“I thought the energy was in the building tonight,” Anderson said. “You could just feel it in the building. It was a different vibe.”
—Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson on the Razorbacks improving to 13-0 at home with an announced crowd of 14,800 on hand. It was a season-high attendance and the best at Bud Walton Arena since 2008.

Up Next
Arkansas travels to face Kentucky. The Wildcats have won 44 consecutive games at Rupp Arena.

Tagged: Arkansas Razorbacks, LSU Tigers, Mike Anderson, BJ Young, Rickey Scott, Trent Johnson, Bud Walton Arena, Mardracus Wade