Louisiana-Monroe checking for its wallet

BOB HOLT
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

FAYETTEVILLE -- Through the first three games this season, the Arkansas Razorbacks had 25 steals.
The Razorbacks managed to surpass that total in one game Saturday as they mugged Louisiana-Monroe 99-59 before 13,755 fans in Walton Arena.
The 24th-ranked Razorbacks set a school record with 26 steals, topping the 21 they had against Mississippi State during the 1991-92 season and Jackson State during the 1996-97 season.
Eleven players had at least one steal for Arkansas (3-1), and junior guard Jannero Pargo led the team with seven, including the record-setting 22nd with 7:02 left.
"When one guy gets a steal it just fires the whole team up," Pargo said. "Everybody gets confidence about playing hard and you get a lot more aggressive.
"When you see one guy aggressive, it gets contagious."
The Indians (1-2) also suffered from a turnover epidemic. They came in averaging 22 turnovers through their first two games against Samford and LSU, but that sounded good compared to the way Louisiana-Monroe lost the ball Saturday.
The Indians had 20 turnovers against Arkansas in the first half and finished with 36.
"We gave it up too easily," said Louisiana-Monroe junior guard Brian Lubeck, who had 7 turnovers along with 11 points and 12 rebounds. "You could tell nobody wanted the ball. Arkansas just took it from us."
The Indians were not tough with the ball, Louisiana-Monroe Coach Mike Vining said.
"Some of our guys were content to just get over in the corner and hide so nobody will get up on 'em," Vining said.
The Razorbacks pressed and trapped all over the court at every opportunity, erasing a 13-10 deficit the first six minutes with a 19-0 run that put them ahead 29-13 with 6:51 left in the first half.
Louisiana-Monroe didn't draw closer than 12 points the rest of the game and trailed by as many as 44 points, 97-53, in the second half.
"Arkansas was very aggressive," Vining said. "They contested every pass, every dribble, every shot.
"They just came at us in waves and waves. Our guys were able to deal with it for a while, but eventually it wore us down."
Sophomore forward Alonzo Lane led the Razorbacks with 16 points, hitting 7 of 8 shots, mostly on dunks and layups after turnovers.
Charles Tatum, a sophomore guard, added 14 points and four steals. Junior guard Brandon Dean had 13 points, Pargo 12 points and 9 assists, sophomore guard Joe Johnson 11 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals and junior forward Dionisio Gomez 10 points and 5 rebounds.
"This is just another game for us right now," Arkansas Coach Nolan Richardson said. "We feel that we're still going to have a good team, but we've got a long ways to go."
The Razorbacks should keep a 40-point victory over Louisiana-Monroe in perspective considering the Indians lost at LSU by 43 points, 92-49, on Monday.
"LSU seemed like they were a little bit bigger, but Arkansas is much deeper," Vining said. "I think Arkansas does a better job all over the floor for the full 40 minutes.
"LSU has only got six players; Arkansas has got a lot more than that."
Richardson used his 12 available scholarship players between 22 and 12 minutes and there was no letdown after the Razorbacks built a commanding lead.
"Even though the game may seem over with by the score, we're always trying to get prepared for the next game," Pargo said. "We just keep pushing ourselves so we can make it a habit."
Richardson said he was glad the Razorbacks set a school steals record Saturday, but he wants his players to understand the game is about more than that. He noted Arkansas got "greedier" in the second half, when the Razorbacks were called for 10 of their 15 fouls.
"We started fouling more, and that's usually what happens when you get greedy," Richardson said. "In the dressing room at halftime, I overheard one of our players say, 'We've got to get 40 turnovers,' because they knew [Louisiana-Monroe] had 20 at the half.
"I said, 'Forty turnovers? God Almighty. That's a bunch.' To get 40 turnovers is one game has got to be incredible."
Almost as incredible as getting 26 steals.

This article was published on Sunday, November 26, 2000

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