Arkansas basketball earned their eighth straight win Saturday by grinding out a win at home against Mississippi State. Keyword being “earned”.
The team used a “spread the wealth” method when it came to scoring. The final score was not high, but all of Arkansas’ eight participants scored at least five points in the 63-55 win over the Bulldogs.
The win not only extended the winning streak, but it was a “revenge game”, as Arkansas got payback for a loss on December 29 at Mississippi State to open the conference season. One of the factors in the win was guard JD Notae.
Notae was unavailable the first time around, but his presence in the rematch at Bud Walton Arena was definitely felt. Notae led all scorers with 14 points, he also added six rebounds and four assists. How much of a difference does Notae make in a game? Head Coach Eric Musselman says that it “changes everything.”
“He puts so much pressure on the defensive game plan of the opponents,” said Musselman during his postgame press conference. “I could tell that (Mississippi State) worked hard on pick-and-roll defensive coverage, and I thought their pick-and-roll defensive coverage was good. (Ben) Howland spent time on it. They were worried about JD Notae with the ball in his hands, which is good, that opens things up for other people.”
The game was tied at 25 going into the locker room at halftime, and Mississippi State stayed close behind Arkansas until the final minute of the game. Musselman says that Notae’s ball movement in the second half ultimately helped them pull away.
“I thought JD moved the ball better in the second half,” said Musselman. “We told him, “respect the defense”, they are doing a great job (covering) you, it’s your job now move that thing and let the ball have some eyes and have some freedom to it.”
Arkansas will put their eight game winning streak to the test on Tuesday, as they welcome No. 1 Auburn to Bud Walton Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.