Minus freshman point guard Courtney Fortson and freshman forward Jason Henry, John Pelphrey’s basketball Razorbacks debuted Friday night with their annual Red-White intrasquad game before an estimated 5, 000-plus at Walton Arena.

Behind sharpshooting freshman guard Rotnei Clark’s 15 points, including 4 of 7 treys, and 11 points and eight rebounds by junior forward Michael Washington, the White won 33-29 with a one-minute overtime after a 20-minute regulation was deadlocked, 26-26.

Pelphrey ordered his men to play just a 20-minute game with the clock running even when the ball went out of bounds as they had practiced earlier in the day and the contest didn’t start until after 9 p. m. following the women’s Red-White game won, 41-40 by the Red. The Hogs will practice twice today and twice on Sunday

Coach Tom Collen’s women’s team had only nine available players and played four-on-four because of injuries and absences.

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Pelphrey’s men needed just added walkon J. P. Noland, who who hit one of two free free throws with four seconds left in overtime for the White to ice it, to have a five-on-five game with Fortson and Henry “ withheld because of a coach’s decision, ” Pelphrey said.

Pelphrey said both practiced earlier Friday and will practice today but were not at the Red-White game nor the autograph session with the fans prior to the game.

“ Both are good young men, ” Pelphrey said. “ They just needed to be reminded of some things that are important. ”

Clarke of Verdigris High in Claremore, Okla. said he relished his first taste of playing before Razorback fans.

“ It was pretty amazing coming from a small high school, ” Clarke said. “ We had a lot of people at our games but nothing like this. ”

Clarke came out smoking with help from sophomore guard Marcus Britt’s five assists.

“ I started in rhtyhm, ” Clarke said. “ Britt and my teammates did a good job getting it to me. ”

Clarke found it easier to hit threes than for free hitting just 1 of 3 free throws including missing the first half of a one-and-one.

“ I don’t usually miss free throws, ” Clarke said. “ That’s unaacceptable. But I can recover from that. ”

Junior college transfer swingman Montrell McDonald led the Red with 10 points and seven boards including the last four points in regulation, tying it 26-26 with a layup with two seconds left.

A Clarke steal and feed to Washington for a layup put the White up 28-26 at: 35 of the one-minute overtime.

Britt, an alum of Forrest City High, sank four straight White free throws to put the White up 32-26 before Andre Clark’s Red trey at: 08 preceded Noland’s game-sealing freebie.

Junior Red guard Stefan Welsh only hit 2 of 11 from the field, just 2 of 9 on treys, but dished three assists and aided freshman forward Andre Clark, seven points and five boards, to get the Red back in it after an early White, 17-7 lead.

“ It was fun for the fans, ” Welsh said. “ But any time we play, it’s competitive. ”

Pelphrey said the young players, including Clarke “ were very very nervous, ” and so anxious to please the fans.

“ They got a taste of the passion of the fans, ” Pelphrey said. “ I told them, you play hard, you’ll never have to wave your arms to get the crowd going because they’ll be cheering. We had that scrum [three players tumbling out of bounds contesting a loose ball ] and sure the enough the crowd was clapping. ”

The Razorbacks next have exhibitions at Walton Arena Nov. 3 against Campbellsville Uniersity and Nov. 6 against Dilllard University before opening the season at Walton Nov. 14 against Southeastern Louisiana.

For the women’s game, Julie Inman led the victorious Red with 17 points and Shanita Arnold paced with the White with 15.