UA crowd welcomes Anderson

FAYETTEVILLE — Mike Anderson was hardly surprised when the Walton Arena crowd of 18, 621 gave him a warm standing ovation during pregame introductions for his Missouri team’s game at Arkansas on Wednesday.

Anderson turned and gave an appreciative wave to the fans.

“It doesn’t surprise me,” said Anderson, who returned to Walton Arena for the first time since March 2, 2002, when his 17-year run as an assistant coach at Arkansas came to an end in a one-game appearance as interim head coach.

“That’s just the people of Arkansas, and they’re appreciative fans. We did a lot of good things here. Even this building. This building was built because of the demand for Razorback basketball.”

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Arkansas Coach John Pelphrey recognized the intent involved in the ovation.

“We’ve got tremendous respect for Missouri and certainly Mike,” Pelphrey said. “We all know all the services he provided for this school and this state. Certainly the way the fans cheered him at the beginning of the game, they understand how hard those guys worked when he was here for 17 years.”

Anderson remembered exactly how loud Walton Arena can rock when the Razorbacks are rolling.

“These are true fans,” he said. “During our day, it was one of THE toughest places to play.”

Missouri players said they didn’t detect a major change in demeanor in their coach as he returned to his old stomping grounds.

“It was just another game for Coach Anderson,” said junior forward Matt Lawrence.

The series Tigers Coach Mike Anderson said he hoped the Razorbacks would find a way to arrange another agreement with Missouri for more games after this two-game deal was completed. “It was originally a fourgame deal, then there was no deal, then it was for two games,” Anderson said. “I hope we will [continue the series ]. I think it’s a natural. I hope it takes place.”

Sloppy start The Razorbacks committed 10 turnovers in the first eight minutes, leading to 17 of Missouri’s first 21 points. “We just had a lot of sloppy turnovers, like dribbling the ball off our foot,” said Gary Ervin, who had only one of the Razorbacks’ 23 turnovers. “But with them pressing and us pressing, there’s going to be some turnovers.” Sonny Weems was the Hogs’ biggest culprit on the evening, turning it over eight times.

“When both teams press like that, it’s going to happen,” Weems said. “We turned it over a few times, and me, myself, I turned it over a lot.” Weems breaks out

Arkansas’ Sonny Weems made his first three-pointer of the season when he connected from the left wing to cut a sixpoint Missouri lead in half, at 16-13, with 14: 12 left in the first half.

“Oh, man, I was in a shooting slump,” said Weems, who went 1 of 3 from threepoint range and scored 16 points. “I think I got it back with that three a little bit.” Weems had missed his first 13 three-point shots of the season. His first three-pointer of the season accounted for Arkansas’ only points during a stretch of 5: 12 in the first half, one of the only scoring lulls of the game.

Daly viewing Big John Daly sat squarely behind the Arkansas bench to take in the big border rivalry. The Dardenelle native and former UA golfer is an occasional spectator at Razorbacks games.

Crunch time Missouri forward Matt Lawrence said Arkansas’ composure down the stretch was impressive, as the Hogs surged ahead late in a neckand-neck game. “It’s a real credit to Arkansas,” Lawrence said. “It came down to a critical point in the game and they made plays. “ We couldn’t convert on offense and we couldn’t get a stop.”