Close Call – Razorbacks Lose in Columbia

Razorbacks Lose in Columbia – 86-85

COLUMBIA, Mo. – After rallying to take the lead with under a minute to go behind a 10-0 run, the Arkansas men’s basketball team suffered a heart-breaking 86-85 loss on Thursday night as Jabari Brown’s turnaround jumper in the lane with 11 seconds left helped Missouri prevail at Mizzou Arena.

Arkansas called timeout following the Brown make and was able to draw up a play that resulted in junior Rashad Madden (@RKMadden00) getting to the rim, but his bid at the game-winner rimmed out and a chance at the tip slipped wide.

Both teams entered with a 4-6 SEC record, as Arkansas now stands at 15-9 overall and 4-7 in league action with seven games remaining, including four at Bud Walton Arena. Missouri (17-7, 5-6) snapped a season-long, three-game losing streak with the win.

Trailing by as many as 11 early in the second half and 83-75 with 3:38 remaining, Arkansas climbed all the way back to take the lead thanks to an 10-0 run that absorbed a span of 3:30. Five different players scored on the run that ended with senior Mardracus Wade (@WadeNoDwyane) giving the Razorbacks an 85-83 advantage with 1:17 to play, while Missouri went 3:44 and four possessions without scoring.

Jordan Clarkson broke the scoreless streak for the Tigers by hitting the first of his two free throws that made it an 85-84 Arkansas edge with 54 seconds left. The Razorbacks committed just their eighth turnover of the game on the next possession before Brown hit the eventual game winner.

Madden was one of the catalysts for Arkansas’ comeback, scoring 12 of his team-high 17 points in the second half to lead five double figure scorers. Redshirt junior Alandise Harris (@AlandiseHarris) scored an SEC season-high 16 points in 18 minutes off the bench, while freshman Bobby Portis (@BPortisTime) produced 15 points and eight rebounds.

Missouri was led by the duo of Clarkson and Brown who combined for 52 points and 25-of-28 at the free throw line. Clarkson led all scorers with 27 points, while Brown was right behind him with 25.

Post-Game Quotes

Mizzou Head Coach Frank Haith:

Opening statement…
“It was a high level game. Give Arkansas a lot of credit; they played their butts off. I thought our guys made some big plays. We had two big stops down the stretch and Jabari’s (Brown) shot was huge. I felt like it was a game where we really needed to shore up some things on defense and down the stretch it was good to see us make some plays.”

End of the game…
“On the initial ball screen action, Johnathan (Williams) did a great job of cupping. He did a great job of forcing him one way and it allowed Jordan (Clarkson) to jump on his right hand right away.”

Emphasis on defense…
“We have to get better defensively. We’re a pretty good offensive team, but we need to be consistent on the defensive end. They’ve been shooting the three very well and we took that away in the second half. That was something we talked about at halftime.”

Free throws…
“We had the right guys going to the line tonight. We work at that and I thing we’re one of the better free throw shooting teams in the league (knock on wood). We’re a good three-point shooting team, but we can also drive the ball. When we have games that we don’t get to the free throw line, that’s quite unusual. We get to the line and attack off the bounce; that’s who we are.”

Missouri Player Quotes:

Jabari Brown, Junior Guard

On how this win helps NCAA tournament hopes…
“It keeps us going in the right direction. We’ve got seven more games and we’re going to try to get all seven of them, but we’re going to take them one at a time. We’ve got a good Tennessee team coming in here.”

On the amount of free throws in the game…
“Well, we’ve got to be aggressive against a team like that. They’re real scrappy and they foul a lot, so we knew we were going to have to be strong with the ball… we made free throws for the most part when we needed to and that was one of the key factors.”

On what this win does for the team for Saturday…
“It gives us some momentum. (It gives us) some confidence coming out with a win and it’s a good thing. You know, coming off with a loss, you just have to regroup, so I feel like we have to improve on something’s but I don’t feel like we have to regroup.”

Jordan Clarkson, Junior Guard

On Rosburg’s help on the last play…
“It was a great rotation by Ryan (Rosburg). He did a good job of testing them, and keeping his hands high so he didn’t foul, and forcing them into a tough shot really. Then we got the rebound, made some big sacrifices – guys were down on the floor for the ball – and we came up with it.”

On breaking the team’s losing streak…
“[It wasn’t talked about] not at all really. We were just coming in here to try and win a game. We take it one thing at a time, we’re not in the past, we’re in the present right now. So we’re trying to keep winning.”

Is Missouri vs. Arkansas a rivalry…
“I think it’s just another game really. They’ve got a great team, they came here and played hard. It’s just really another game in the SEC.”

On how they pressured on defense…
“They just pressured the ball the whole game. Basically forcing me to drive. You know they sat on my right hand a lot…. made me make plays on my left hand. Just being aggressive and making plays for my other teammates too and finishing at the rim for myself.”

Arkansas Head Coach Mike Anderson Quotes

Opening Statement…
“Well first of all give credit to Missouri they made one more play than we did. We were in position and didn’t finish the deal, but I have to give credit to them–Brown, he made a play. That’s what good players do is make a play. We had the ball going down the stretch and we thought we had a good look in terms of (Madden) going to the basket. It was a game that was pretty disruptive with all the free throws, but all in all I thought it was two teams competing and competing at a high level. Great energy on the floor, great energy in the building, and I’ll say it again, credit to Mizzou. They made one more play than we did. I told the guys we didn’t lose the game we just ran out of time, that’s all.”

On the last play…
“That’s what you saw. You saw (Madden) going to the basket and we had the four spread of guys who can knock a shot down and we wanted to put up enough time where we could get a rebound. We actually had the ball in our hands and it slipped out of Bobby’s hands. We gave ourselves a chance we wanted to draw a foul or get to the basket. The ball just didn’t bounce our way.”

On the natural rivalry…
“It’s good basketball that’s how I remember when Coach Stewart was here, when Coach Richardson was here. States touch borders so the kids went out and competed. To me that’s what the biggest thing is. Like I said, a lot of free throws took place, but at the end of the day one team came up short and unfortunately it was us.”

On Mizzou’s 40 consecutive free throws…
“That’s a lot of free throws I know that. They made them. You have to give them credit because they made them.”

Were you surprised Mizzou went with Brown on the last play…
“No, I think those guys did a good job of attacking. I mean look at the free throw line one shot thirteen and one shot fifteen. So we did a pretty decent job from the standpoint of them not making shots, but he made the shot that’s what good players do. They make plays.”

On staying the course after falling behind then gaining the lead:
“Basketball is a game of runs and we know that you want to have the run at the right time and our guys hung in there. Some guys came off the bench; Alandise Harris gave us some great minutes off the bench. Michael Qualls, those guys came and gave us some energy. Mardracus Wade, all of a sudden now, I thought the fatigue factor was a big part of this game because now we’re touching balls, covering loose balls, turnovers start taking place, and we had an opportunity to take advantage of it and we did. Even as they were going to the basket I thought we did a better job of really trying to protect the basket.”

On defense on Jabari Brown…
“We didn’t have an answer for him. I mean look at the stats they tell it all. His free throws, now that’s unheard of and to his credit he made them.”

On Alandise’s performance…
“I thought he had a breakout game you know. I didn’t think they had an answer for him. I thought he did a good job whether they were in a zone or man. Our guys did a good job of moving the basketball.”

On coming into his old home and what makes it tough…
“They got players just like we got players. They’ve got a coach that does a great job. We’re playing on the road. I thought the difference in this game versus the last game is last game I thought they [Mizzou] really played harder than we did at our place and they were able to steal one. It was a different tale with our guys. I’ll say it again, they just made one more play than we did tonight. Coming back and you’re competing in the SEC you try to find wins and you have to go on the road to a lot of different venues so coming back as a former coach obviously there’s a lot of people and friends I know and get to see. But I’m sure Frank will say the same thing when you go between those lines it’s Arkansas versus Missouri. I’m sure his team plays to win and my team plays to win.”

On if the game was called too tight…
“You make the judgment on that. I thought it was a great game, but it was very disruptive.”

On Mardracus Wade’s increase in minutes… “I think defensively he’s in tune to what’s taking place now… he knows what his role is on this basketball team. We need that defensive presence and that experience. This is his third year so he’s playing better.”

Arkansas Player Quotes

Freshman Forward Bobby Portis

On the last possession…
“Coach drew up the play for Mike (Qualls) and put Mike in the corner. He was supposed to come off of a ball screen but it didn’t happen. So he drove to the hole and tried to finish. It was a pretty good look and actually I had the tip in, but I mistimed it.”

On Missouri making 40 consecutive free throws against them in two games…
“They didn’t miss a free throw at all the first half and our guys continued to foul them and put them on the line giving them easy points.”

On coming back from double digits in the second half…
“We all fought back to get the lead. I felt it was really good for our ball club because we didn’t quit and we fought to the end.”

Junior Forward Alandise Harris

On if this game can help propel them on the road going forward…
“We still are where we are supposed to be, we lost, but there are still positives.”

On the team going 4-on-4 on Missouri’s last possession…
“That is the way we practice every day we start one on one, two-on-two, we just build it all the way up. So that is a situation that we are always in every day, so it shouldn’t have been anything new to the guys on the court.”

On the quick turnaround playing LSU at home Saturday…
“We have to focus on getting this win at home. Simple.”

Worthy Of A Hog Call (#WPS)
Arkansas took its largest lead of the second half, 71-67, with 9:05 to go when sophomore Michael Qualls (@Mr_WalkOnAir) finished off a pair of alley-oops over a 23-second span. The second dunk also drew a foul, as Qualls completed the three-point play. The two dunks occupied the No. 3 and No. 4 spots on SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays, giving Qualls seven #SCtop10 slams this season.

Key(s) To The Contest
Each team finished with nearly identical stats across the board and combined to shoot 75 free throws. Missouri hit its first 23 shots from the charity stripe and finished 34-of-38 for the game. Behind 10 attempts from Madden, Arkansas went 29-of-37 at the free throw line.

@RazorbackMBB Quick Hits 
➢ Missouri now leads the all-time series at 21-20.
➢ The two meetings between the two programs have been decided by a total of five points.
➢ Arkansas has played four games in SEC play decided by two points or less.
➢ The 29 free throws matched a season-high while the 37 attempts are the third-most.
➢ Sixth time this season five players have reached double figures (4-2).
➢ Madden has led the team in scoring seven times in SEC action.
➢ Madden has reached double figures in 18 of the last 21 games.
➢ Fifth time in SEC play that Madden has scored double figures in the second half.
➢ Harris’s 16 points were part of a 31-11 advantage in bench points for Arkansas.
➢ The 16 points were Harris’ most since the final two games of the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational.
➢ Portis has now led Arkansas on the boards in six straight contests and 13 overall.
➢ Portis and Qualls have both reached double figures 17 times.
➢ Qualls’s back-to-back dunks give a team-best 25 on the year.
➢ Senior Coty Clarke (@CTC_4) reached double figures for the third time in four games.
➢ Senior Mardracus Wade (@WadeNoDwyane) moved into seventh place in program history with 76
career steals in SEC play.
➢ Senior Fred Gulley III (@FG_3_) came away with his seventh multi-steal game of the year and has
just one turnover in six road games (124 minutes).

Coach Anderson Postgame Sound
“Well first of all give credit to Missouri they made one more play than we did. We were in position and didn’t finish the deal, but I have to give credit to them—Brown, he made a play. That’s what good players do is make a play. We had the ball going down the stretch and we thought we had a good look in terms of (Madden) going to the basket. It was a game that was pretty disruptive with all the free throws, but all in all I thought it was two teams competing and competing at a high level. Great energy on the floor, great energy in the building, and I’ll say it again, credit to Missouri. They made one more play than we did. I told the guys we didn’t lose the game we just ran out of time, that’s all.”

#Fastest40 Facts
➢ Arkansas won the turnover battle for the 27th time in its last 28 games, including 23 of 24 this
season.
➢ Eight turnovers were the fourth single-digit performance this season.
➢ Committed just four turnovers in each half.
➢ Razorbacks have now won the turnover battle 76 times in 88 games under coach Anderson.
➢ Razorbacks finished with a positive assist/turnover ratio for the 21st time in 24 games, while
opponent has done so just four times.

Up Next
In just two days, @RazorbackMBB will return to Bud Walton Arena to host LSU (15-8, 6-5) on Saturday. Arkansas will honor members of its six Final Four teams at halftime, while it was also present former Arkansas Governor and President of the United States Bill Clinton with a No. 42 jersey. Tip is slated for 4:05 p.m. on ESPNU.