Razorbacks Roll Over Tide in Southeast Conference Upset

The Crimson Tide rolled into Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville ranked number 8 in the nation, but soon found that the Razorbacks were not to be intimidated just because they were unranked. Arkansas won 88-61

Led by Juniors Sonny Weems and Gary Ervin and true freshman Patrick Beverley; who each scored 18 points in the game; the Hogs struck quickly, jumping out to a 25 point lead in the first half. 14 of those points came just after tip-off and went unanswered by Alabama. Add to that mix 3 blocked shots by 7'0 (Junior) Steven Hill and you come up with a recipe that will have Tide fans hearing "Woo Pig Sooey" in their sleep for weeks to come.

Alabama, who has now lost their conference openers four straight years in a row, had 9 shots blocked in the first half. Sophomore Richard Hendrix was held to just 7 points, ending a four game streak of double digit scoring. Alonzo Gee, a sophomore from Palm Beach, Florida, led the tide in scoring with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Richard Steele, who is battling injuries these season added eight points and 4 assists. He was also responsible for 4 of Alabama turnovers.

The Crimson Tide was predicted to compete with the Louisiana State Tigers for top honors in the SEC west division. However, against an Arkansas team that today was reminscent of the Nolan Richardson era and his "40 minutes of hell" squads, Alabama seemed to be rattled. The Hogs appeared completely confident after having to replace their leading scorers from last year after losing Jonathan Modica to graduation and Ronnie Brewer to the NBA.

Junior Forward Darian Townes added 8 points to Arkansas' scoreboard and blocked 4 of Alabama's field goal attempts. Townes only played 3 minutes in the Hog's win over Tulsa on Tuesday. Head Coach Stan Heath left him in the locker room at halftime after Darian lost his temper.

Although the Tide outscored the Hogs 41-39 in the second half, they simply couldn't dig themselves out of the hole they'd dug in the first 20 minutes of play. Gary Ervin , a junior college transfer, showed tremendous team leadership today. Even his opponents were impressed. Said point guard Richard Steele: "Ervin did great and exactly what he was supposed to do. We just couldn't match their intensity and they were a step faster than us."

Up next for the Crimson Tide is LSU who is ranked 19th at home; while the Hogs travel Gainesville to meet 3rd ranked Florida. Keep January 27th open on your calendar. The rematch when Alabama welcomes Arkansas into Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa promises to be one that will bring fans from both sides on their feet.