Dexter Pittman threw down a powerful dunk while drawing a foul,
then flexed his big arms while heading to the free throw line.
It was a bold gesture in a game that was still close, but
Pittman and No. 2 Texas were about to go on a run.
"I know my teammates depend on me to get plays like that,"
Pittman said. "Finish strong."
Pittman had 21 points and 10 rebounds, overwhelming Arkansas
inside as the Longhorns remained unbeaten with a 96-85 victory
Tuesday night.
The Longhorns (14-0) made nine of 11 shots during a 20-9 run
in breaking from a 48-48 halftime tie.
Pittman's dunk started that run. The 6-foot-10, 290-pound
senior finished 10 of 15 from the field, and neither Michael
Washington nor 6-7 Marshawn Powell could handle him down low for
the Razorbacks.
"It was like a little point guard trying to guard Shaq,"
Powell said. "It's impossible. He is a man."
Rotnei Clarke scored 24 points for Arkansas (7-8), which cut
the margin to two in the final minutes but couldn't pull even.
Arkansas beat Texas 67-61 here last January, but the
Razorbacks are only 9-23 since. The Longhorns were much more
impressive offensively this time around, shooting 59 percent from
the field.
Arkansas trailed 86-84 after Washington scored on an
offensive rebound, but Damion James made an open shot from near the
free-throw line, and Jordan Hamilton's dunk with just under a
minute remaining made it a six-point game.
"That's what I'm supposed to do," said James, a senior. "I
wasn't going to let us lose."
James finished with 20 points and nine rebounds despite
playing only 17 minutes because of foul trouble.
"I think he showed his maturity by staying engaged in the
game," Texas coach Rick Barnes said. "Damion sat today longer than
he's sat in a long time."
The Longhorns led 68-57 after J'Covan Brown's 3-pointer, but
Arkansas was able to make a game of it. Courtney Fortson, who
returned to the starting lineup after a season-long suspension, had
19 points for the Razorbacks, while Powell added 18 points and
Washington had 14.
Fortson had seven assists but turned the ball over six times.
Just like last year against the Longhorns, Arkansas coach
John Pelphrey showed up in a red jacket, and the Razorbacks jumped
out to a 35-29 lead. Fortson got right to work, attempting 12 shots
in the first half, but it was Clarke who gave the Razorbacks a shot
at an upset, scoring 16 points before halftime.
After falling behind by 11, Arkansas went on a 13-4 run to
pull within 72-70. Gary Johnson answered with a conventional
three-point play after the Razorbacks nearly came up with a steal.
Texas pushed the lead back to double digits at 84-74 before
Arkansas scored eight straight points. The teams traded baskets
before James' shot and Hamilton's dunk gave the Longhorns some
breathing room.
James scored eight points in the final 2:11.
After winning its first 12 games by double figures, Texas has
struggled a bit lately. The Longhorns beat Texas A&M-Corpus
Christi 76-70 over the weekend before being pushed by Arkansas.
Texas opens Big 12 play Saturday against Colorado.
Washington, who considered going to the NBA after last
season, was in foul trouble and played only 6 minutes in the first
half. He got untracked toward the end but was still outplayed
inside by Pittman.
The Razorbacks appeared content to collapse their defense,
allowing open shots Texas was able to convert. And the defense
didn't stop Pittman from contributing. He helped the Longhorns to a
21-11 advantage in second-chance points and had eight of Texas' 16
offensive rebounds.
Johnson scored 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting.
Arkansas will have a lengthy layoff before starting
Southeastern Conference play Jan. 14 at Mississippi State. The
Razorbacks won only two SEC games last season.
