Clarke leads White team to win
Bart Pohlman
Issue date: 10/27/08 Section: Sports
Rotnei Clarke didn't know what to expect from his first time playing in front of the Razorback faithful at Bud Walton Arena.
Clarke connected on 4-of-7 three-point attempts, received a standing ovation from the crowd and scored 15 points to lead the White team past the Red team 33-29 in the annual Red-White game Friday night at Bud Walton Arena.
"It's just awesome to be here with these passionate fans," Clarke said. "It's an unbelievable experience."
Clarke hit all four of his 3-point attempts in a three-minute span, during which the White team went on a 13-4 run to take a 17-7 lead.
The Red team responded, charging back to take an 18-17 lead with just under 6:30 to play in the game.
After going back and forth over the final five minutes, a layup by freshman Montrell McDonald tied the score and sent the 20-minute game into a one-minute overtime.
In the extra minute of play, the White team jumped out to a six-point lead with four of the points coming from free throws by sophomore Marcus Britt.
A 3-pointer by freshman Andre Clark cut the lead to three, but the Red team could get no closer.
Michael Washington scored 11 points and grabbed a game-high eight rebounds for the White team.
McDonald led the Red team with 10 points and seven rebounds, while junior guard Stefan Welsh added eight points.
While Clarke led the way for the White team, he wasn't entirely pleased with his performance.
"That was a good first couple that I hit, but I just gotta keep going like that," Clarke said. "I missed three in a row after that, so I just have to stay focused."
Second-year Arkansas coach John Pelphrey said he was pleased, for the most part, with how the scrimmage went.
"I thought we had a good attitude," Pelphrey said. "We encouraged each other. I thought the guys played hard."
Pelphrey said the team still has a long way to go if the youthful Hogs want to overachieve this season.
"It takes a while to get some of these concepts in," Pelphrey said. "I would love to throw everything at them, but I know they can't handle it."
Clarke connected on 4-of-7 three-point attempts, received a standing ovation from the crowd and scored 15 points to lead the White team past the Red team 33-29 in the annual Red-White game Friday night at Bud Walton Arena.
"It's just awesome to be here with these passionate fans," Clarke said. "It's an unbelievable experience."
Clarke hit all four of his 3-point attempts in a three-minute span, during which the White team went on a 13-4 run to take a 17-7 lead.
The Red team responded, charging back to take an 18-17 lead with just under 6:30 to play in the game.
After going back and forth over the final five minutes, a layup by freshman Montrell McDonald tied the score and sent the 20-minute game into a one-minute overtime.
In the extra minute of play, the White team jumped out to a six-point lead with four of the points coming from free throws by sophomore Marcus Britt.
A 3-pointer by freshman Andre Clark cut the lead to three, but the Red team could get no closer.
Michael Washington scored 11 points and grabbed a game-high eight rebounds for the White team.
McDonald led the Red team with 10 points and seven rebounds, while junior guard Stefan Welsh added eight points.
While Clarke led the way for the White team, he wasn't entirely pleased with his performance.
"That was a good first couple that I hit, but I just gotta keep going like that," Clarke said. "I missed three in a row after that, so I just have to stay focused."
Second-year Arkansas coach John Pelphrey said he was pleased, for the most part, with how the scrimmage went.
"I thought we had a good attitude," Pelphrey said. "We encouraged each other. I thought the guys played hard."
Pelphrey said the team still has a long way to go if the youthful Hogs want to overachieve this season.
"It takes a while to get some of these concepts in," Pelphrey said. "I would love to throw everything at them, but I know they can't handle it."
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