Arkansas stuns LSU

Posted 6:52AM on Thursday 23rd January 2003 ( 22 years ago )

FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS - Larry Satchell's normal routine consists of coming off the bench, picking up a couple of fouls and heading back to the Arkansas bench to rest his 6-foot, 9-inch frame. He entered the Razorbacks' game against LSU averaging 7.6 minutes an outing and with eight points - all season. But the senior from Waco, Texas, was a force Wednesday, playing 22 minutes, making all four shots he took and getting eight points and seven rebounds before fouling out with 3:53 remaining in Arkansas' 73-65 victory. ``The big thing with Larry, and I just (told) him, `You don't need to go in there, bang people around, get three fouls and come out,''' Razorbacks coach Stan Heath said. ``Let's try to keep you in there without fouling and see where it takes us.'' Satchell's play helped give Heath his first Southeastern Conference victory and it kept Arkansas (6-9, 1-3 SEC) from its first six-game losing streak in 31 years. The senior shrugged off his efforts after the game. ``A win is a win and it doesn't matter if I play or not,'' Satchell said. Arkansas needed a big game from unusual sources against LSU (12-4, 1-3) because Kendrick Davis and Jonathan Modica didn't play for a half and Carl Baker missed the entire game, all benched for breaking curfew last week. In addition to Satchell's play, senior guard Blake Eddins stepped up with five points and a career-high five assists in the first half while Davis and Modica sat on the bench. ``I think that sent a strong message that no one guy is bigger than the program,'' Heath said. ``For us to go in at the halftime only down by one, I think it made the other guys look up and say, 'You know what? We can win this game.''' Eric Ferguson scored a season-high 19 points and Michael Jones added 16 to lead the Razorbacks. Eddins and Satchell helped jump-start Arkansas' offense in the first half, something the Razorbacks had missed lately. Arkansas had been held to 15 points in a half in its last two losses to Auburn and Georgia. ``We have been working hard and it finally paid off tonight,'' Eddins said. ``We played real aggressive. The fast start helped settle us down and made us score more.'' LSU wasted its opportunities at the free throw line in the second half. With Arkansas leading 68-61 with 2:36 left in the game, LSU's Ronald Dupree missed two foul shots, making the Tigers 2-for-9 from the free-throw line in the second half. After a layup by Davis with 2 minutes to go gave the Razorbacks a 70-61 lead, LSU's Jaime Lloreda missed two more free throws. Tiger point guard Torris Bright, who scored 17 points, broke a string of seven missed free throws with four in the final minute of the game. However, Arkansas made 3 of 4 in the final minute to keep LSU from getting any closer. ``We don't defend or rebound very well at all, but I can't really say that because we out-rebounded Ole Miss (in a loss) last week,'' LSU coach John Brady said. ``We can't seem to make plays at the right times. I think everything that could have gone wrong did.'' LSU entered the game having allowed the last three teams it faced to shoot better than 50 percent. Arkansas shot 49 percent 24-of-49 just a shot away from its second game this season of shooting 50 percent or better. Antonio Hudson led the Tigers with 18 points, 10 above his season average, and Lloreda had 13 points and six rebounds. The Razorbacks jumped out to a 28-20 lead with 7:01 left in the first half on a 3-pointer by Eddins. Eddins and Satchell provided their most significant action of the season in the first half while guards Davis and Modica two of Arkansas' leading scorers and Baker sat on the bench. The three players violated curfew the night before the Georgia game last week. Davis and Modica played in the second half, while Baker sat the entire game. ``Originally it was going to be for the whole game, but some seniors stepped up and said it was hurting our team bad and asked if it could be just for the half,'' Heath said. Heath said he held Baker out the entire game as an extra penalty because, as a senior, he should have known not to miss curfew. After Eddins' 3-pointer, LSU closed the half with an 18-9 run fueled by five Arkansas turnovers and seven points from Hudson. The 6-foot-5 guard had been averaging 8.2 points per game, but he had 13 at the half. Lloreda had six points in the run. Dupree, LSU's leading scorer at 15.4 points per game, was quiet with just four points in the half and he finished with 12.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2003/1/184921