NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Arkansas guard Khalif Battle led the way for the Razorbacks on Wednesday in their 90-85 overtime win against Vanderbilt.
Battle finished with a team-high 24 points, including seven in the extra period. He was 13 of 14 at the free throw line in the game.
“It was phenomenal,” Eric Musselman said of Battle’s play. “We wanted to go to him. We’ve gone to him the last couple weeks when we need a basket.”
But Arkansas would not have been in position to extend its season another day if not for Tramon Mark’s big second half.
The Houston transfer scored all 18 of his points — on 6 of 10 from the field — in the second half and helped erase a 15-point Commodores lead with 16:55 to play.
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“For us to have a chance, T-Mark had to play well,” Razorbacks assistant coach Ronnie Brewer said. “I told him you’ve got to be aggressive, get downhill, have a Zone 1 score, which is points in the paint, and he answered. When he came out, he came out like a bat out of hell.
“He was driving to the basket, getting his midrange going in the paint, and he really got us back in the game and got us on a run.”
Out of the half, Mark scored 11 of Arkansas’ first 17 points, and with 7:57 remaining in regulation, his four-point play gave the Razorbacks their first lead (62-60) since the 8:39 mark of the first half.
“He’s big-time,” Battle said of Mark. “Big-time scorer, big-time shot maker, big-time competitor. I think he played great.”
Brewer, who played 8 years in the NBA, paid Mark a lofty compliment.
“To me, his game is what you see at the next level as far as guys that are getting paid millions of dollars because they can put the ball in the basket at a high level,” he added. “A lot of people say the mid-range game is dead [and] it’s layups and threes.
“He’s another testament that if you can get to your spots and you can knock it down at a high percentage, you play your game no matter what. He gets to his spots, he gets his shots, he rises up over the defense and knocks down his shot.”
– Scottie Bordelon
Brazile brings it
It has not been the season anyone expected from Trevon Brazile, including himself, but the redshirt sophomore forward appears to be rounding back into form at just the right time for Arkansas.
Brazile showed some rust after returning from a seven-game absence due to lingering knee soreness, but he has come on strong for the Razorbacks in his last two outings.
Against Vanderbilt on Wednesday, the 6-10 forward posted a 13-point, 12-rebound double-double and knocked down a trio of three-pointers, including a go-ahead triple in overtime.
According to some expert stat-taking by Scottie Bordelon, Brazile also brought it on the defensive end. He allowed just one basket on seven shots defended, with four blocked shots and two steals.
The last time Brazile was able to showcase himself in a postseason environment was in an uneventful Wednesday Sadness setting as a true freshman at Missouri.
After battling through injury and adversity, Brewer couldn’t be happier to see Brazile hitting his stride again.
“It feels really good because you see the hard work that guys are putting in,” Brewer said. “TB’s been plagued with injury last year and this year. To see him have a couple games back-to-back where he’s aggressive, attacking, shooting threes, blocking shots, rebounding at a high level, that’s what this team needs.
“You see him block a shot, I think it fuels [Makhi Mitchell] to block a shot, then our defenders are more comfortable pressing up on guys because they know they have a line of defense behind them. It’s been good to see him have a couple of good games back-to-back after being injured throughout the year.”
– Curtis Wilkerson
Mitchell bounces back against ‘Dores
Few people outside the Arkansas locker room knew at the time, but Mitchell was banged up during the Razorbacks’ home loss to Vanderbilt last month.
After Arkansas’ win over the Commodores on Wednesday, Mitchell revealed he battled an injured shoulder in the first meeting. He finished with 0 points, 5 rebounds and 1 assist in 19 minutes.
He was healthy the second time around. And he was critical to the Razorbacks moving on to face South Carolina on Thursday.
“This game, I just wanted to show I can compete in these types of games,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell turned in an all-around performance in Game 1 in Bridgestone Arena, tallying 18 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals in 35 minutes. He has 10 blocks in Arkansas’ last three games.
“Team defense in the second half is what turned the game around,” Mitchell added. “We can score at any time we want, but it’s a matter of playing defense and getting extra possessions and doing all the little things to help us win the game.”
– Scottie Bordelon