By Robbie Neiswanger
Arkansas News Bureau • rneiswanger@arkansasnews.com
FAYETTEVILLE — Florida forward Alex Tyus was active on the glass, grabbing rebounds and keeping possessions alive for the Gators in the second half.
So was Florida big man Vernon Macklin. And forward Chandler Parsons. Even 5-foot-8 point guard Erving Walker got involved late, grabbing a long rebound to set up a jumper that gave the Gators a comfortable lead.
Arkansas turned in another solid effort in Southeastern Conference play, but its struggles on the glass resurfaced and proved to be a killer in a 71-66 loss to the Gators in front of 14,173 in Bud Walton Arena.
Florida took control of a back-and-forth game down the stretch thanks to its rebounding, getting second-half points that ultimately buried the Razorbacks. The Gators weren’t necessarily sharp on offense, missing plenty of open looks, but held a 42-29 rebounding edge, got 17 offensive rebounds and 12 second-chance points.
All of the second-chance points came in the second half.
“The story of the game was we just could not rebound it,” Arkansas coach John Pelphrey said. “We could not finish off defense. … Any time you get second-chance points you’re going to score a lot of them.”
As a result, Florida (13-5, 2-2 in SEC play) grabbed its first win against the Razorbacks (8-10, 1-2) in Fayetteville since 2004. It also helped Florida coach Billy Donovan improve to 4-1 against Pelphrey.
Arkansas had its moments, but couldn’t find ways to make plays down the stretch after playing so well against Alabama last Saturday. In fact, the Razorbacks held a 56-55 lead when guard Rotnei Clarke knocked down a 3-pointer and grabbed some momentum. But it didn’t last.
Trailing by one, Florida finally seized control behind a 9-0 run. The spurt was fueled by second-chance points.
Tyus, who was just 3 of 11 from the field, finished with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Parsons, who was 1 of 8, got 6 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Gators down low.
“Our frontcourt had a hard time scoring, but they did a really, really good job rebounding,” Donovan said. “Some offensive rebounds really helped our team.”
Said Clarke: “Second-chance opportunities were huge.”
That wasn’t the only issue Thursday night, though.
Walker, Florida’s point guard, scored a game-high 27 points against the Razorbacks to help offset the fact the Gators shot just 35.5 percent in the game. He was a perfect 4-for-4 in the first half, scoring 15 points to help the Gators hold a 28-26 lead at the break.
Walker also set the stage in the second half when he hit a deep 3-pointer to give Florida a 31-26 lead and build it to as many as 34-26 before the Razorbacks responded.
“He made some big-time plays,” Pelphrey said.
Clarke, who finished with a team-high 17 points for the Razorbacks, led the charge for a team that played much of the night without center Michael Washington. The senior was limited to four minutes in the first half by foul trouble. He picked up his fourth with 11 minutes left and scored 11 points in just 19 minutes Thursday.
But Clarke carried the load during a crucial stretch, netting 11 straight points for the Hogs to help them keep pace with the Gators. It wasn’t enough. Arkansas just couldn’t keep Florida off the glass down the stretch.
“When you (rebound) it one night, you have to come back and do it the next,” Pelphrey said.
Arkansas couldn’t. As a result, the Razorbacks fell below .500 in SEC play with a daunting task up next.
The Razorbacks will go on the road to play undefeated Kentucky at Rupp Arena on Saturday afternoon.
“It’s very tough to lose at home,” said Arkansas point guard Courtney Fortson, who finished with 14 points, 3 rebounds and 11 assists. “We’re going to go back in the gym and learn from our mistakes.”
