Cleveland has all answers for Arkansas

MARTY COOK
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

It's hard to keep a good Gentleman down, but thanks to sophomore guard T. J. Cleveland, Arkansas was able to.
With all eyes on local hero Joe Johnson, Cleveland scored a game-high 21 points as the Razorbacks put away pesky Centenary 73-55 on Thursday at Alltel Arena. The Razorbacks (8-4) opened the game with a 10-1 run and opened the second half with a 16-3 run as Cleveland played major roles in both runs.
Cleveland scored eight points in the game's first five minutes as Arkansas led 10-1. Cleveland made two three-pointers and a layup, but Centenary scored the next seven points and eventually tied the game at 14-14.
Arkansas responded and opened up an eight-point lead several different times, but the Gents (3-8) pulled to within three points by halftime. Centenary stuck close by playing tight defense and running a methodical offense.
The Gentlemen played their first game since an 80-52 loss to LSU on Dec. 21, a game in which Centenary trailed by just six points midway through the second half.
Cleveland opened the second half with another three-pointer as the Razorbacks scored the first nine points of the half. Cleveland hit another three-pointer to give Arkansas a 44-28 lead and cap the run.
The Gents weren't out of it, though, and managed to claw their way back to within 58-51 before Cleveland hit two consecutive three-pointers. Johnson made a layup to give the Razorbacks a 67-52 lead with 3:10 remaining, and Arkansas was finally in the clear.
The Razorbacks outscored Centenary 15-4 in the last five minutes of the game. Cleveland made six of his 10 three-point attempts in the game.
Johnson, playing just his second collegiate game after starring at Little Rock Central, scored two points on 1 of 7 shooting in the first half. He played better in the second half and finished with 12 points, 6 rebounds and 5 steals.
Ronnie McCollum led Centenary with 17 points but made just 2 of 7 three-point attempts. McCollum entered the game averaging more than 25 points a game.
After Centenary tied the game at 14-14, Blake Eddins and Brandon Dean hit three-pointers to stretch the Razorbacks' lead back to six points, and an offensive putback by Brandon Davis made the score 22-14. McCollum scored nine points in the last 4:38 to make it 28-25 at halftime.
The Gents shot 36 percent from the field compared to 34 percent for Arkansas. Centenary shot 33.3 percent in the game, compared to Arkansas' 45 percent. The Razorbacks made 4 of 12 free-throw attempts in the game.

This article was published on Friday, December 31, 1999

RETURN to Razorback Report