By Robbie Neiswanger
Arkansas News Bureau • rneiswanger@arkansasnews.com
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas forward Marshawn Powell had a big smile on his face when he stepped into the postgame interview room Wednesday night.
The sophomore had good reason. Another game proved to be another example Powell is rounding back into form after being slowed by a broken bone in his foot.
Powell paced Arkansas offensively for the first time this season, scoring 17 points in the 87-64 win against Mississippi Valley State. He came off the bench to knock down 7 of 14 shots and played 23 minutes, helping Arkansas improve to 7-1 in front of an announced crowd of 5,375 in Bud Walton Arena.
“I wouldn’t say it’s the best I’ve felt,” Powell said. “But it’s the best I’ve played so far.”
It also was the first time Powell has led the Razorbacks (7-1) in scoring since late last February, when he netted 27 in a loss to Vanderbilt.
Powell said after the game he’s still not back to 100 percent. He estimated it was 85. But that was more than enough to help the Hogs win Wednesday.
“He’s still pretty good even though he’s hurt,” Delta Devils coach Sean Woods said. “He still made some plays. Once he gets fully healthy, good Lord.”
Powell teamed with Arkansas center Delvon Johnson (15 points and 10 rebounds) and forward Glenn Bryant (12 points and 10 rebounds) to form a productive trio in the frontcourt. The group was too much for Mississippi Valley State’s smaller lineup, helping the Razorbacks overcome a rough first half and a tough night by leading scorer Rotnei Clarke.
Clarke — who was averaging 15.6 points entering Wednesday’s game — was held scoreless on 0-for-6 shooting by the Delta Devils (1-8). MVSU seems to have his number. The sophomore managed five points on 2-of-5 shooting when the teams met last December.
Wednesday was the first time Clarke hasn’t scored since a loss to Tennessee on Feb. 4, 2009.
“That’s not in the gameplan. I can promise you that,” Arkansas coach John Pelphrey said.
But Clarke’s absence offensively wasn’t the problem in a first half in which Arkansas trailed by as much as six points and struggled to control a team that has played a rugged schedule. It was Arkansas’ inability to perform on the other end of the floor.
The Delta Devils gave the Hogs all they could handle with an aggressive dribble-drive offense that created easy buckets. MVSU shot 51.6 percent (16 of 31) from the field in the half and swapped buckets with the Razorbacks when it wasn’t being called for fouls.
“We just felt like in the first half we were so disappointed with our transition defense,” said Pelphrey, whose team used a late push to hold a 43-38 lead. “I thought we were back, but we weren’t matched up and the communication was poor, the alertness was poor. In the second half we were better.”
Arkansas came out of the locker room to finally open up a double-digit lead, holding MVSU without a field goal until the 14:10 mark. Woods said his team continued to break down the Hogs off the dribble, but Arkansas began to toughen up in the low post.
Mississippi Valley State shot 22.6 percent (7 of 31) in the second half and finished at 37.1 percent.
“When you go against SEC teams, you can’t go on too many scoring droughts,” Woods said. “That’s what happens. We’re in games, in games, in games and we go on a two- or three-minute scoring drought.
“We’re not good enough to sustain that.”
The Delta Devils did manage to trim Arkansas’ lead, which ballooned to 20, down to 13 with 5:02 remaining. But Arkansas turned to Powell, who converted a three-point play on the other end to push the lead back to 16 and ended the late threat.
It was Powell’s last points of the night. In addition to his team-high 17 points, he added two rebounds, two blocks, a steal and an assist.
Powell said rest, like the week between the Seton Hall and MVSU games, has been important for his resurgence. Pelphrey agreed, saying Powell’s work in practice over the past two weeks also is paying off.
“It’s going to still take him a minute to get his legs,” Pelphrey said. “He’s not as athletic up off the floor as we’re accustomed to seeing him sometimes. But the other stuff, that’s really good.”
FREE THROWS
Bryant came off the bench for the first time this season and netted his first double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds). … Guard Jemal Farmer returned after missing the past two games because of an illness and thumb injury. He scored eight points in 12 minutes. … Arkansas held a five-point lead at halftime Saturday. The Razorbacks have been ahead at the break in every game this season. … The Razorbacks will travel to Dallas to play Texas A&M on Saturday.
