University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
13-11, 6-5
Arkansas
12-11, 4-7
Tennessee Defeats Arkansas 64-53
February 13, 2002 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 13, 2002
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By ELIZABETH A. DAVIS
AP Sports Writer
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee coach Buzz Peterson meant for his team to keep the game slow and the number of shots down against Arkansas.
The style may have been boring for fans, but the Volunteers (13-11, 6-5 Southeastern Conference) made it work as they beat the Razorbacks 64-53 Wednesday night.
Marcus Haislip scored 20 points and Thaydeus Holden added 13, including five points in the last 2:10 as Tennessee held on for the win.
``I liked the pace of the game. It's how we wanted it because if we started going up and down with Arkansas we would have worn our legs down,'' Peterson said.
Arkansas (12-10, 4-6) lost for the fourth straight time in Knoxville despite a zone defense that held the Vols to just 7-of-21 shooting from the field in the second half.
That didn't bother Peterson because the clock was running out and the Razorbacks weren't scoring either. They made just 9-of-27 field goals in the second half.
Holden, though, admitted playing a lethargic pace isn't easy for a player.
``It was kind of hard because we are used to going up and down trying to get quick shots in transition,'' Holden said. ``Arkansas is a real scrappy team. That's what they want you to do. They want an up-and-down game so we had to slow it down.''
Free-throw shooting also helped the Vols, who were 21-of-25 while the Razorbacks were just 4-of-7.
Arkansas cut the lead to six points after reserve Jannero Pargo made three straight baskets. His 3 with 4:24 left got the Razorbacks to within 57-51.
Meanwhile, Tennessee didn't make a field goal for a little over six minutes, but Arkansas couldn't get any closer.
Derek Stribling broke the drought with a driving layup with 2:54 remaining, and Holden hit a 3 to push the lead back to 11. On the next inbounds, Holden got behind Arkansas' press and scored an uncontested dunk with 1:26 left.
Vincent Yarbrough added 14 points for Tennessee, which is above .500 in the conference for the first time since its first league game this season.
Arkansas was led by J.J. Sullinger with 13 points, while Pargo added 10 points and was just 2-of-8 from beyond the arc.
``We were struggling to score 53 points. We used to get 53 at the half,'' Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson said. ``We just don't have the firepower.''
The Vols led most of the game and by as many as 13 points early in the second half, but Arkansas' zone defense stifled their shooting.
Tennessee went ahead 44-31 with 19:17 left but didn't score again until Yarbrough's 3-pointer more than six minutes later. The Vols actually scored in between but only because of a goal-tending charge.
Tennessee led 41-31 at halftime after making all 14 of its free throw tries and shooting 11-of-19 from the field, including five 3-pointers.
The Vols built a 17-7 lead early.
Even though Pargo is one of the best three-point shooters in the SEC at 3.4 averaged a game, Richardson decided to not use him in the starting lineup. Pargo isn't able to practice much because of tendinitis in his knee, which also can slow him in games.
Richardson changes the starters frequently, and had the team's 20th different lineup against Tennessee.
