FAYETTEVILLE -- Collectively, Arkansas posted one of its most productive games ever in Mike Anderson's era coaching the Razorbacks.
Saturday's 98-80 triumph over the Ole Miss Rebels was truly home grown. Check out the numbers compiled by Razorbacks native sons Daryl Macon, Little Rock Parkview; Anton Beard, North Little Rock; Trey Thompson, Madison via Forrest City ; Dusty Hannahs, Little Rock via Pulaski Academy; and Manny Watkins, Fayetteville.
To embellish, let's throw in Moses Kingsley. Sure the senior big man hails from Nigeria and played high school ball in Mississippi, but along with Watkins and Bobby Portis, the former Razorbacks All-American from Little Rock Hall, Kingsley led the Arkansas Wings Elite to the 2012 AAU national championship. So count him an Arkie too.
Led by Macon's career high 30 points, Arkansas' Arkies scored 78 of Arkansas' 98 points. They amassed 30 of Arkansas' 42 rebounds and assisted 17 of Arkansas' 20 assists. Also they accounted for all six Arkansas steals and blocked all seven of Arkansas' shot-blocks. Kingsley blocked four and Thompson blocked three.
Arkansas junior transfer guard Jaylen Barford, who had 15 points against Ole Miss, hails from neighboring Tennessee.
"You think about coming in and playing an Ole Miss team that is right next door to us," Anderson said. "We played them last year [in Oxford, Miss.] and they opened up a new place and they got us there. This game here, the timing of it, was a big game for both of us. We held serve at home."
Obviously Arkansas' locals did their part serving up Arkansas' home cooking while completely reuniting the Razorbacks and Walton as one again.
The virtual world of Twitter, message boards, sports talk radio and the real world of fans attending the games at Walton sometimes seem worlds apart.
The twits tweeting for the firing of virtually everyone with UA seldom seem a bridge to those calling the Hogs at Walton.
That's why a smattering of boos during Arkansas' dreadful first half during its previous game at Walton on Feb. 7 against Vanderbilt got noticed.
Considering the Hogs had just laid an egg losing at then-winless Missouri going into that abysmal first half versus Vandy, Anderson himself might have been tempted to boo, too, since his team seemed fallen into a funk.
Immediately reverting to type, the Feb. 7 Walton faithful tried to rally the Razorbacks in the second half before losing 72-59 to Vandy.
Saturday at Walton, Arkansas' announced crowd of 15,214 and their Arkansas Razorbacks played to and for each other nonstop.
"Without a doubt that was one of our better performances at home," Anderson said. "I'm sure for the fans that came out they sure appreciated it and our players appreciate the fans coming out and creating an atmosphere."
Sports on 02/20/2017