By Robbie Neiswanger
Arkansas News Bureau • rneiswanger@arkansasnews.com
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas has played in front of smaller-than-usual crowds this season and it didn’t change during the 67-62 win against Mississippi State.
But the small turnout may have had little to do with the Razorbacks’ struggles on the court.
A winter storm coated Northwest Arkansas with sleet and freezing rain on Thursday, impacting attendance in Bud Walton Arena. The announced crowd for the game — 4,113 — was the lowest turnout of the season.
Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long said before Thursday’s game the program knew the weather — along with the fact the game was televised by ESPN2 — would leave many watching from home. The Razorbacks issued a statement Thursday encouraging fans to use their “best judgment” traveling to and from the game because of the potential for dangerous conditions.
To help alleviate some of the expected attendance loss due to the storm, Arkansas also announced that university students would be admitted free. Students filled seats around the lower bowl of the arena and Arkansas coach John Pelphrey credited them with helping the Razorbacks come from behind.
“Our student body was so inspiring,” said Pelphrey, who applauded the crowd before he left the court Thursday night.
Time Change?
The winter storm also stirred conversation about whether tip-off would be moved from its 8 p.m.
ESPN college basketball analyst Jimmy Dykes, who was part of the network’s broadcast for the game, indicated in a radio interview on Wednesday that there was a possibility of moving tip-off time to 2 p.m. Mississippi State was in favor of an earlier tip, too, giving it a better chance to return to Starkville, Miss., after the game Thursday night.
Any change was left to Arkansas, according to Southeastern Conference spokesperson Craig Pinkerton.
“Arkansas communicated with the SEC office and Mississippi State throughout the decision-making process,” Pinkerton said in an e-mail. “After several campus-wide meetings, the University of Arkansas decided to maintain its normal schedule (Thursday). This included (Thursday’s) basketball game.”
Long said Arkansas never wavered from the original tip-off time for Thursday’s game, though.
“There was really no discussion,” Long said.
Say What?
Arkansas’ offensive woes through much of the game led to some pretty interesting postgame comments from Pelphrey.
“First half we weren’t able to get any offense going at all,” Pelphrey said after his team’s win. “I don’t know whose team that was. It wasn’t mine.”
Arkansas went 6-for-25 from the field during an ugly first half and it didn’t get much better early in the second half. The Razorbacks ended up shooting 48.1 percent in the second half, but not before nearly driving Pelphrey mad.
“I thought once about jumping off the top of Bud Walton if I could’ve gotten up there during the break,” he said.
Welsh Chips In
Arkansas guard Stefan Welsh turned in his best offensive performance in weeks, scoring 12 points on 4 of 10 shooting Thursday night.
Welsh, who had scored 13 points in the previous five games, scored his first points on 3-pointers late in the first half to help the Hogs stay in the game. He also scored on a driving layup that tied the game at 55-55 in the final minutes.
“I hadn’t shot as well as I wanted to, but my teammates tell me to keep shooting,” Welsh said.
Free Throws
Arkansas’ 21 first-half points Thursday night were a season low. … Guard Rotnei Clarke hit a 3-pointer for the 29th consecutive game and his 69 3-point baskets this season place him 33 behind Scotty Thurman’s school record of 102 in a season … MSU guard Barry Stewart set the school’s career-minutes record during Thursday’s game. The senior entered the game logging 3,842 with the Bulldogs.
