Strong second half gives Hogs boost

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – With Michael Washington’s second double-double of the season, Arkansas Razorback men’s basketball edged the Florida A&M Rattlers, 86-61, at Bud Walton Arena on Saturday.

The Hogs, now 4-1, saw three of their players (Rotnei Clarke, Courtney Fortson and Washington) score in double digits and Stefan Welsh near double digits with eight rebounds and eight points. The Rattlers fall to 1-5 as three of their players scored in double digits with Brandon Bryant’s 16 points leading the way.

Washington was Arkansas’ leading scorer with 20 points and also collected 11 rebounds (one offensive, 10 defensive). His line also includes two assists, two blocks and two steals.

Fortson ended the game with 13 points, five rebounds and five assists. Clarke scored 12 points, grabbed two boards and notched one steal and one assist. Clarke has scored in double digits in four of the five games played this season.

Marcus Britt led a solid off-the-bench outing for the Razorbacks. He totaled six rebounds and nine points while chipping in with two assists and one steal.

The first half gave Arkansas a 36-29 lead with 15 points coming from Fortson (eight) and Clarke (seven). From the field, the Hogs were 10-29 and they made 13 of 19 free-throw attempts.

Also during the first half of play, Welsh added four assists and two steals while Washington recorded four defensive rebounds. The Razorbacks outrebounded Florida A&M 25-19 at the half and 51-30 when time ran out.

Florida A&M’s largest lead of the day was by four with 11 minutes to play in the first half and Arkansas closed making four of the five baskets it attempted. Arkansas’ biggest lead of the first half came at the start of halftime when they held a seven-point lead over the Rattlers.

The game included 10 lead changes and six ties in front of a crowd of 10,182. Arkansas’ largest lead of the game, 25, came with less than two minutes to play in the second half.

The Razorbacks will play next Wednesday, Dec. 3, when they take on the Texas Southern Tigers at 7:05 p.m. at Bud Walton Arena. Tickets are available by calling the Razorback Ticket Office at 1-800-982-4647.