Arkansas improves to 2-0 in SEC
Last updated Sunday, January 13, 2008 7:18 PM CST in Columns
By Harry King
THE MORNING NEWS
FAYETTEVILLE--Gary Ervin's inconsistency will drive you nuts.
He will never be that mistake-free point guard that Arkansas fans and coach John Pelphrey want him to be and descriptions of Ervin run the gamut, including a few that are not fit for print.
One thing he is not ... he is not afraid to be under the gun when it really matters. That's not always a good thing -- I remember the final minute of the loss at Ole Miss last year -- but it was Ervin who took and made the shot when Arkansas was behind Alabama in overtime on Sunday.
From the moment that Charles Thomas opened the game with a 3-pointer until Mykal Riley made two free throws only 17 seconds into overtime, Arkansas never trailed. A senior from Pine Bluff, Riley was not offered a scholarship by the Razorbacks and his private cheering section near the Alabama bench went wild when he followed with a jumper for 64-62 with 1 minute, 49 seconds to play.
At the other end, the Alabama defender was off of Ervin just enough and he jumped up for a 3 and the lead. This from a guy who had made only 1-of-5 from outside during the first 40 minutes and who was only 10-of-29 during the previous 15 games.
A half-minute later, Ervin, on the move, gained control of a Sonny Weems pass, laid it in, and completed a three-point play for 68-64. At 68-67, Ervin wiped an imaginary something off each of his peppermint shoes and made another free throw.
The final was 71-67, just the sort of victory that can be a difference maker in March. It was one of those where neither team shot particularly well, but one in which the visitor competed to the end -- sort of the norm in the Southeastern Conference these days.
Just the other night, Ole Miss was down 12 at Tennessee and led by four with minutes to play. On Saturday, visiting Vanderbilt fell behind by 16 at Kentucky and lost in double overtime.
Pelphrey recited a variety of Ervin errors before admitting that the 3 was big.
On Sunday, Arkansas shot 37 percent from the field and won because Alabama also was so-so from the field. The two teams were 17-of-54 from 3-point range and the futility was equally divided. Arkansas missed nine free throws, one more than Alabama.
Even then, Arkansas needed a break at the end.
Patrick Beverley picked off his game-high 12th defensive rebound and went to the free throw line with an opportunity to finish off Alabama with 14 seconds to play. A 70 percent shooter, he missed them both, but Alabama's Demetrius Jemison batted the rebound out of bounds although nobody was close to him and Charles Thomas finally put away the Crimson Tide with two free throws.
It should be encouraging to Pelphrey that Arkansas won despite the lack of solid offensive production from Beverley, Weems, and Thomas.
Beverley sat down for almost 10 minutes after picking up his fourth foul and he wound up with six points on 2-of-8 from the field. He can be excused somewhat considering he suffered a dislocated jaw in the first half.
Weems did not have an apparent excuse. Dynamite in the second half against both Baylor and Auburn, Weems was consistent on Sunday -- making 2-of-7 both before and after intermission. After the opening 3, Thomas was 2-of-8, but did make 6-of-7 free throws and grab 10 rebounds.
Against Baylor and Auburn, Beverley was 10-of-18 -- including 9-of-14 on 3s -- Weems was 14-of-24, and Thomas was 11-of-17.
Arkansas led by 11 midway through the second half, but Riiley's 3 righted Bama and another one by Riley tied it at 60 with 20 seconds to play.
Nothing much happened during Arkansas' final possession and Thomas' shot was smacked down near the buzzer, meaning block and delete was the order of the day for copy from most of the first 40 minutes.
Harry King is sports columnist for Stephens Media's Arkansas News Bureau. e-mail: hking@arkansasnews.com.
About this columnist
The dean of Arkansas sports writers, Harry King updates his column five days per week with the latest on the Razorbacks. A 35-year veteran of The Associated Press, King joined the Arkansas News Bureau in May of 2002. He's covered the Razorbacks since the Arkansas-Texas game dubbed the Big Shootout in 1969.
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