Mike Washington scored 22 points, and freshman forward Glenn Bryant (and his sweet mohawk) contributed 11 points off the bench to lead Arkansas to a 76-51 victory over Alabama State Wednesday night.
With leading scorer Rotnei Clarke out with tendonitis in his knee, the Hogs looked to their inside game against the overmatched and undersized Hornets. Arkansas shot 52.7% for the game, and only attempted 9 three point field goals all night with their star 3-point specialist Clarke out of the game with the injury.
Michael Sanchez also missed the game with a sore foot, and starting forward Marshawn Powell got into a bit of early foul trouble, paving the way for Bryant to see more action than he has all year. Bryant responded to the increased playing time with 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists in 19 minutes for the Hogs.
Arkansas was sloppy with the ball against Alabama State at times, finishing with 15 turnovers for the game, but Arkansas’ defense looked much improved against the Hornets. Arkansas held Alabama State without a single 2 point field goal for the first half, and the Hornets only managed 19 points in the first half, the lowest total by an Arkansas opponent all year. Alabama State shot only 27% for the game, and Arkansas also out-rebounded them 45-34.
The win brings Arkansas’ overall record to 5-5 heading into the tougher part of their non-conference schedule. Arkansas faces two former Southwest Conference opponents in the coming weeks, with Baylor coming to Little Rock on Dec 30, and Texas coming to Fayetteville on Jan 5.
Next up, the Hogs will face Steven F. Austin on Saturday, Dec 19 at Bud Walton Arena. The game will be televised by RSN.
