Page C-4 • Starkville Daily News • Sunday, February 7, 2010 SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE Fortson leads Arkansas over Auburn 82-79 in OT

April L. Brown/The By NOAH TRISTER nal seconds of regulation. The buzzer. 51 here last season, the largest Associated Press The Associated Press Tigers nearly tied it again on Sullivan and Waller each margin of victory by a visit- Arkansas’ Court- the last play of overtime, but scored 18 points for Auburn. ing team in this building. The ney Fortson, left, FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Frankie Sullivan’s midcourt Waller’s 3-pointer late in Tigers arrived ready to shoot takes a shot over Courtney Fortson scored 24 shot hit the back of the rim. overtime made it 81-79, but Saturday. Their fi rst seven Auburn’s Lucas points — including nine in a Arkansas (12-11, 5-3) has Fortson made one of two free fi eld goal attempts were from Hargrove, right, row late in overtime — to lead won four straight. throws with 4.2 seconds left. 3-point range, and they went during the fi nal Arkansas over Auburn 82-79 The 5-foot-11 Fortson also After a timeout, Sullivan lost 12 of 34 from long range in seconds of the on Saturday. fi nished with 10 rebounds and control of the ball rushing it the game. second half of Fortson’s 3-pointer broke a seven assists, and he nearly end- up court. He recovered it in The Razorbacks trailed 38-36 an NCAA college 71-71 tie, and he later hit from ed it in regulation with a layup time to get off a shot from at halftime and 65-62 in the fi - basketball game the perimeter and made two with 14.1 seconds left. Down midcourt. It was on line but nal minute of regulation. Pow- in Fayetteville, free throws with 40.6 seconds 67-65, Auburn’s Tay Waller a tiny bit long, and Sullivan ell’s three-point play with 58.3 Ark., Saturday, left to make it 78-73. After an tried a contested 3-pointer that collapsed to the fl oor in disap- seconds remaining tied it. Feb. 6, 2010. Auburn miss, Fortson grabbed missed, but Sullivan saved the pointment. Two weekends ago, Arkansas Fortson led all the and went coast to ball as it went toward the Ti- Marshawn Powell scored lost at Kentucky by 31 points. scorers with 24 coast for a layup and a seven- gers’ bench and threw it back 19 points for the Razorbacks, The Razorbacks have gone 4-0 points as Arkan- point lead. toward the basket. who lost center Michael Wash- since then and are now in sole sas defeated Auburn (11-12, 2-6 South- Sullivan’s heave didn’t come ington with 8:09 left in the possession of fi rst place in the Auburn 82-79 in eastern Conference) had forced close to going in, but Malone second half to an apparent left SEC West. overtime overtime with Andre Malone’s was all alone to catch the ball leg injury. Auburn was playing for the layup on wild play in the fi - and lay it in just before the Auburn beat Arkansas 73- fi rst time in a week. Ole Miss rallies to beat Bama Tennessee’s Chism steals the show from The Associated Press a minute into the second half, but slowly chipped away un- OXFORD — Down 23 til Terrico White’s tip-in with S. Carolina’s Downey points in the second half, Ole 6:11 left put the Rebels up Miss appeared fi nished, head- 58-56. ed for its third straight loss. White, Warren and Henry By BETH RUCKER spark the Vols with back-to- Thanks to a pair of big per- hit four free throws in the The Associated Press back fastbreak shots, includ- formances the Rebels came fi nal 28 seconds to send Ala- ing a pull-up 3-pointer from right back to win what may bama (13-10, 3-6) to its third KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — the wing. have been a watershed game if straight loss. Devan Downey may be the Tennessee then took con- they’re going to have a chance “Terrance had a huge Southeastern Conference’s trol with a 9-0 run capped to win the Southeastern Con- game,” Kennedy said. “We most dangerous shooter. by a Chism layup for a 27- ference and make the NCAA really needed it. We had lost Tennessee’s Wayne Chism 12 lead with 3:05 left in the tournament. two in a row and (have) a stole the show from him for fi rst half. Chris Warren scored 21 crucial road game at Missis- at least one night. Chism felt the Gamecocks’ points, and Terrence Henry sippi State on Thursday.” Chism scored a career-high defense against him loosen, had a career-high 20 points JaMychal Green led the 30 points as No. 14 Tennes- and Pearl had his players go and eight rebounds to help Crimson Tide with 18 points see limited Downey’s scor- inside as much as possible. It No. 25 Mississippi come back and added seven rebounds. ing opportunities in a 79-53 paid off as the Vols scored to beat Alabama 74-67 and Tony Mitchell had 16 points Rogelio Solis/The Associated Press rout of South Carolina on 40 in the paint. Mississippi forward Terrance Henry (1) blocks a second half stay a half-game behind Ar- and eight rebounds. Saturday night. “It was the way they guard- shot on the basket by Alabama forward Jamychal Green kansas in the SEC’s West. Alabama still held a 56-45 Chism, who has averaged ed,” Chism said. “I had to (32) during their NCAA college basketball game in Ox- “We just could not afford advantage with 9:01 left be- 14.1 points in SEC play, was adjust to it, and I adjusted to ford. to drop this game,” Ole Miss fore Ole Miss responded with 11 for 17 from the fi eld, in- it pretty fast in this game.” coach Andy Kennedy said. “I a 14-0 run. Alabama man- cluding two 3-pointers, and An 8-0 run early in the wish I could tell you that it aged only one basket in the You have to fi ght back.” “Wins like this give you con- hit 6 of 8 free throws. His second half increased the something I said at halftime fi nal two minutes, a 3-pointer Alabama never regained the fi dence. I won’t say it’s a state- previous high of 27 points Vols’ hold on the game, and that turned it around, but it by Charvez Davis. lead, but made it 66-64 on a ment game, but it’s impor- came against Auburn on a 3 by Scotty Hopson gave wasn’t. It was about our play- “Today was a microcosm dunk by Mitchell with 2:12 tant,” Warren said. “You’ve March 14, 2009. them a 42-20 lead just under ers.” of what we’ve experienced all left. got to give them credit for “When Chism is able to do four minutes into the second The Rebels (17-6, 5-4 season,” Alabama coach An- Henry answered with a getting on us, but we never things like that, inside and half. Southeastern) made 25 of thony Grant said. “We’ve not dunk of his own and the Reb- lost confi dence that we would out, defend like he did and Hopson and Bobby Maze 33 free throws in the second shown the ability to handle els allowed only one other come back and get it.” lead the team, he is a very each added 11 points for half. adversity. We knew Ole Miss Alabama basket the rest of diffi cult matchup,” Volun- Tennessee and Kenny Hall Ole Miss was down 43-20 would fi ght in the second half. the way. teers coach Bruce Pearl said. pulled in 11 rebounds. “South Carolina did not The Gamecocks, who are have an answer for him.” now 1-6 on the road this The Vols (18-4, 6-2) did season, couldn’t recover with have an answer for Downey, 27.6 percent shooting. who entered the game aver- “We were just outplayed,” Wildcats overcome slow start aging 31.6 points per game Downey said. “It seems like in SEC play. The Game- they were getting all of the cocks point guard struggled loose balls off of rebounds to get off screens and blocks and things like that. We to soundly defeat the Tigers and scored only nine points were just outplayed.” before halftime. Downey did manage to be By then, Tennessee had a more effective after halftime, By MARY FOSTER country in doubles-doubles son-low six points on 2-of-9 LSU, which won the con- 30-16 lead and full control reaching the paint to draw The Associated Press with 14 and 24th in the na- shooting. It marked only the ference last season, is still over a South Carolina team fouls and get to the line. He tion in rebounding. second time that Wall failed searching for its first league that was coming off a six- hit 13 of 14 shots from the BATON ROUGE, La. — Cousins said they were to reach double fi gures this victory in this one. day break. line and fi nished with 26 Kentucky didn’t have one hard earned against LSU. season. The Tigers played scrappy The Vols won their sixth points. of its best games Saturday. “Every time I came down “The guys on Kentucky’s defense, but had a hard time straight over the Gamecocks Brandis Raley-Ross added The fourth-ranked Wildcats the court I got elbowed in team are absolute animals, slowing down the much (13-9, 4-4) and ninth in 11 12 points, and Sam Mul- didn’t need it to cruise past the jaw,” he said. “It’s not Cousins, Patterson, all of bigger and faster Wildcats, meetings, wrapping up a drow grabbed 16 rebounds. LSU. even looked at or called.” them are physical,” LSU who average 82.4 points a busy week that included a South Carolina entered the The Wildcats started slow, The Wildcats (22-1, 7-1 guard Bo Spencer said. “They game. Kentucky outscored narrow win over Florida on game leading the league with trailing 6-1 4:29 into the Southeastern Conference) are big and wide, they’re hard LSU 34-14 in the paint Sunday and another at LSU 9.2 steals per game but only game. But they went on a ended the early drought to get around.” and allowed the Tigers no late Thursday. came up with two against the 22-0 run in the first half to when , another LSU (9-14, 0-9) shot less second-chance or fast-break This week presents their Vols. The Gamecocks com- take control and pulled away freshman star, hit a jump- than 19 percent from the points. toughest road stretch of the mitted 11 turnovers, which to an 81-55 victory. er for their first . fi eld in the fi rst half and fi n- Kentucky outrebounded season, with visits to No. 18 led to 16 Tennessee points, “It just shows you how They needed only 3 minutes ished at 26.7 percent overall LSU 53-31 Vanderbilt and No. 4 Ken- and had only four assists. young these guys are,” Ken- to erase LSU’s lead, scoring (21 of 66). The Wildcats led by as tucky up next. South Carolina coach Dar- tucky coach John Calipari 41 of the next 49 points to Spencer led LSU with 25 many as 33 points, taking “We talked a lot about if rin Horn told his players said of his team that starts take a 42-14 halftime lead. points, 19 in the second half, control and allowing Cali- we were going to continue to remember how they felt three freshmen. “They re- “It was pure physicality, but he had seven turnovers. pari to play most of his to win, we were going to about their play with Florida vert. They have game slip- strength and being better Tasmin Mitchell added 10 bench, which provided 22 have to play better,” Pearl up next. page.” players,” LSU coach Trent points for the Tigers. points. said. “The defense has been “We don’t want to be in Freshman DeMarcus Cous- Johnson said. The margin of defeat “Kentucky is a really a constant for us.” this situation,” he said. “Los- ins had 19 points and 13 Patrick Patterson had 16 matched LSU’s biggest of great team,” Mitchell said. Both Tennessee and South ing is one thing, but doing it rebounds, his sixth straight points for Kentucky and the season. LSU lost to Con- “They’ve got everything they Carolina started strong on when you don’t feel like you double-double. , the third fresh- necticut by the same score need and they play hard. I defense but sloppy on of- even give yourself a chance is Cousins, who played only man starter, added 10. The in the NIT Season Tipoff in don’t see why they aren’t fense. Bobby Maze helped very disappointing.” 20 minutes, is eighth in the Tigers limited Wall to a sea- November. No. 1 in the country.” Georgia settles down to upset Vanderbilt

By CHARLES ODUM Georgia (10-11, 2-6) appeared “Even after we didn’t start off the made only 20 of 61 shots overall and eight turnovers. The Associated Press bound for its fourth straight South- second half well, the defense improved matched its season low for points. “Our defense was just deplorable eastern Conference loss when it trailed and held us together,” Fox said. “We’ve been shooting around 50 the last 15 minutes of the game,” ATHENS, Ga. — Vanderbilt’s Brad early in the second half. But the Bull- led Vanderbilt with percent and tonight it didn’t seem like Stallings said. Tinsley could see a big difference in dogs recovered to shoot 53.2 percent 21 points. Tinsley added 18, but the anyone could get one to drop,” Stall- Added Tinsley: “We fell apart de- Georgia’s ballhandlers in the fi nal 15 for the game and end a three-game Commodores found too little scoring ings said. “Brad and Jermaine were fensively.” minutes. losing streak. support for the two guards. really good, but no one else could get Vanderbilt plays Tennessee on The Bulldogs, pressured into con- “This was the type of game that re- “We didn’t get a very good night anything going.” Tuesday night in Nashville, but Tin- stant turnovers most of the fi rst 25 ally makes you feel good about your- from any of our big guys,” Vanderbilt Georgia turned the ball over 13 sley said the Commodores were not minutes, settled down and rallied to self,” said Georgia fi rst-year coach coach Kevin Stallings said. times in the fi rst half and trailed 36- looking past Georgia to their in-state beat No. 18 Vanderbilt 72-58 Satur- Mark Fox. Vanderbilt center A.J. Ogilvy had 28 early in the second half before rival. day night. Georgia won for the fi rst time since six points, ending a streak of scoring rallying behind Travis Leslie, who “I don’t think we were looking “I think they kind of fi gured out the beating then-No. 8 Tennessee on Jan. in double fi gures in 12 straight games. scored 13 of his 17 points after the ahead. I think this team does very press and fi gured out how to break 23. He led the Commodores with nine break. well with that,” Tinsley said. “We it,” Tinsley said. “In the fi rst half, they Trey Thompkins also had 17 points rebounds. The more composed Georgia of- just have to get past this one.” were rushing, but they calmed down as the Bulldogs gave Vanderbilt (17- Beal and Tinsley made 9 of 13 shots fense abused Vanderbilt’s man de- Georgia led 68-54 following back- and started to run through it in the 5, 6-2) its second loss in its last 13 from the fi eld in the fi rst half, but their fense to make 14 of 21 shots in the to-back 3-pointers by Vincent Wil- second half.” games. teammates were 1 for 18. Vanderbilt second half while committing only liams and Ricky McPhee.