Arkansas Sports 360 - ArkansasSports360.com

2/11/2012 at 3:26pm

FAYETTEVILLE — The Jekyll-and-Hyde Razorbacks continue to dominate at home.

BJ Young scored 27 points Saturday as Arkansas set a record for victories at Bud Walton Arena with a 76-65 win over South Carolina.

The Razorbacks (17-8, 5-5 SEC) improved to 17-0 in Fayetteville, the most victories in one season since the arena opened in 1993. It also follows a lackluster loss Wednesday night at Georgia.

Arkansas ended the first half on an 11-0 run to take a 38-27 halftime lead and never looked back.

Young's 27 points were his best since scoring 28 in a loss to Connecticut on Dec. 3.

Damontre Harris had 12 points to lead the Gamecocks (9-15, 1-9), who have lost five straight and nine of 10. Malik Cooke added 11.

Arkansas' 1993-94 national championship team was 16-0 and held the previous mark for home victories. Several former Razorbacks were at Bud Walton Arena on Saturday to watch the game and a documentary afterward on that team and former Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson.

Richardson was also on hand, and he had to like what he saw out of the Razorbacks after a frustrating 81-59 loss at Georgia on Wednesday. Arkansas fell to 0-8 away from Fayetteville with that loss, but Saturday it looked much more like the team that owns home victories over three ranked teams this season.

With Young providing a spark off the bench, the Razorbacks took an early 25-17 lead. The freshman had seven points during the early going and 16 at halftime. His total was his best in an SEC game this season and his most since scoring 24 in a victory over Mississippi State on Jan. 7.

South Carolina used a 10-2 run to tie the game at 27 after a dunk on the fast break by Eric Smith. However, the Gamecocks' 21 turnovers began to take an effect, and Arkansas scored 11 straight points to end the half.

Young capped the run with a pair of free throws and a 3-pointer, and the Razorbacks extended the run to 17-0 to start the second half — taking a 44-27 lead after a Ky Madden basket on a break.

South Carolina, which was outscored inside 46-30, was unable to get closer than seven points after that.

Even Arkansas backup quarterback Brandon Mitchell took part in the fun. The 6-4 sophomore, who came out for basketball after the Razorbacks' Cotton Bowl victory over Kansas State, played 9 minutes in the first half with forward Michael Sanchez out with a shoulder injury.

Sanchez's injury left Arkansas with only eight healthy scholarship players. But Mitchell — who was recruited in basketball by LSU — had six points and four rebounds in the first half. He finished with eight points on 4-of-7 shooting.

Mickelson finished with 11 points for the Razorbacks, and fellow freshman Devonta Abron added 10. Arkansas was 30 of 59 from the field (51 percent), a far cry from the disappointing loss to Georgia in which it shot 37 percent.

South Carolina closed within 68-61 late after a put-back by Bruce Ellington, who was in foul trouble early and finished with nine points.

However, Mickelson and Mitchell answered with back-to-back baskets to help Arkansas pull away in the closing minutes.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

Tagged: Brandon Mitchell, Mike Anderson, Bruce Ellington, Mike Sanchez, Nolan Richardson, BJ Young, Arkansas Razorbacks