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Tuesday, Dec. 5 8:05pm ET
For starters, reserves spark Arkansas | |||||
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BOX SCORE
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) -- Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson didn't like what he saw in the opening minutes of Tuesday's game with North Texas. So he sat his starters down and let his bench win the game. Brandon Dean left the pine to score 13 of his 15 points in the first half as No. 21 Arkansas ran down North Texas 97-77. Six players scored in double figures for Arkansas (6-1), and Dean played the longest of them at 22 minutes. The Razorbacks shot just 33-for-82 from the field, including 10-for-37 from 3-point range. "I watched (the starting five) for four minutes and they didn't do anything. They missed six shots, I think, all threes," Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson said. "I put a whole new five in, knowing if we played decent we would win the game." Arkansas led 50-35 at halftime and North Texas (1-5) stayed within that range for the first eight minutes of the second half, largely on the shooting of Bryan Lucas. "Being the only senior, I knew I had to come out and play hard. My shots came in the flow of the game," Lucas said. "Arkansas played a great game. They have too many guys. Every time you look, there are three or four guys at the (scorer's) table waiting to check in." Lucas scored 10 of the first 16 points of the second half for North Texas before he sat down with 12:46 remaining, with Arkansas ahead 68-51. Jason Miller made a jumper and a 3-footer to bring the Eagles within 68-55. Then the Razorbacks went on a 14-4 run. Carl Baker started it with a 15-footer, and Alonzo Lane made two free throws when he was fouled after a steal by Janerro Pargo. Pargo followed with another steal and made a driving layup. Lane then contributed a steal and made one of two free throws before Charles Tatum then added two more from the line. Tatum then made a 3 from the right corner, and Lane ended the run with a layup, giving Arkansas an 82-59 lead with 7:49 to play. North Texas did not get closer than 18 points the rest of the way. "One phase of the game I liked was our free throws and another part was a stretch where we really got after it," Richardson said. "When we opened things up on the inside tonight, it really started to help things on the outside, considering we didn't shoot too well on the outside to start," said Tatum, who came in off the bench. "Players on the bench need to be ready because it doesn't matter who starts, but who finishes." North Texas coach Vic Trilli was familiar with Tatum. "We had Tatum on campus for an official visit. That's how close we are (to competing with Arkansas), yet we are so far away. We don't have a lot of depth," Trilli said. Tatum finished with 13 points, while T.J. Cleveland had 11 and Joe Johnson, Teddy Gipson and Dionisio Gomez added 10 each. Lucas finished with 21 points and 15 rebounds in 22 minutes for North Texas, while Chris Davis added 13 points, Miller had 12 and Josh Richardson 11. The Eagles outrebounded Arkansas 41-38. | ALSO SEE Mens College Basketball Scoreboard
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