Men's Basketball Hosts Division Leading Arkansas
Feb. 12, 2010 TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The University of Alabama men’s basketball team returns home to host Arkansas on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. in the second meeting between the two Southeastern Conference Western Division foes this season. The contest will be televised via the SEC Network and ESPN360.com.
Alabama Arkansas travels to Tuscaloosa in first place in the division with a 13-11 record and has won five straight games to claim a 6-3 record in the league. “They’ve (Arkansas) got four guys averaging double figures and are playing very good defense as a team,” said Alabama head coach Anthony Grant. “I’ve had a chance to see a little bit of film on them since our first game and I think it starts with their defense, they’re playing really well on the defensive end. Offensively, Courtney Fortson, Rotnei Clarke and the post players are getting involved and doing a good job.” The Crimson Tide will be looking to snap its four-game skid that has dropped the squad to 13-11 overall and 3-7 in the league. Of the Tide’s seven SEC losses, three have now come by a single point and Alabama has held a halftime lead in six of the seven. Arkansas is averaging 75 points per game in SEC action and has scored 80 or more points in three of its last four games. That offense, which ranks third in the SEC, will face the league’s top scoring defense in Alabama which has allowed just 60.8 points per game in conference play this season. In the first meeting this season, Arkansas handled the Tide, 71-59, in Fayetteville, Ark., to become just one of two SEC opponents to score 70 or more points against Alabama this season. Mikhail Torrance remains Alabama’s top scorer after scoring eight points with three assists off the bench at Kentucky. On the season, the senior is averaging 15.0 points per game on 47.5 percent shooting. His counterpart at point guard, Courtney Fortson, is averaging 19.9 points per game in the 10 games he has suited up this season. Freshman Tony Mitchell continued his strong play with a team-high 13 points and seven rebounds at Kentucky. In the last three games, he has averaged 13 points and seven rebounds while connecting on 7-of-13 from three point range and 50 percent of his attempts from the field. Following Saturday’s contest, the Tide will have a week off before continuing its season at Georgia on February 20 at 3 p.m. Saturday’s contest is a near sellout with fewer than 400 tickets remaining for game. Special promotions for fans attending the game include 7,500 rally towels courtesy of GEICO. For just $10 fans can purchase two Bryant hot dogs and two soft drinks at concession stands and $20 will purchase two T-shirts and two shakers. Slam Dunk Packs are also available from the ticket office for $44 that includes four tickets, four hot dogs, four bags of chips and four drinks. Tickets may be purchased online at here or by calling 1.877.TIDE.TIX. Television Broadcast Clearances Birmingham-Tuscaloosa AL WTTO CW Dothan AL WTVY CW Huntsville-Decatur-Florence AL WZDX FOX Mobile-Pensacola (Ft Walt) AL WJTC NBC Montgomery (Selma) AL WCOV FOX Ft. Smith-Fay-Sprngdl-Rgrs AR KHBS ABC Ft. Smith-Fay-Sprngdl-Rgrs AR KHOG ABC Jonesboro AR KAIT ABC Little Rock-Pine Bluff AR KATV ABC Panama City FL WJHG CW Tampa-St. Pete, Sarasota FL WTTA MNT Albany, GA GA WALB NBC South Bend-Elkhart IN WHME IND Wichita-Hutchinson Plus KS KSCW CBS Lexington KY WKYT CBS Louisville KY WAVE-DT3 Paducah-C. Girardeau-Harrbg KY WPSD-DT NBC Lafayette, LA LA KADN FOX Lake Charles LA KVHP FOX New Orleans LA WUPL CBS Shreveport LA KMSS FOX Kansas City MO METRO - KC RSN Biloxi-Gulfport MS WXXV FOX Columbus-Tupelo- West Point MS WCBI CBS Greenwood-Greenville MS WABG-A ABC Meridian MS EGBC FOX Binghamton NY WBPN MNT Oklahoma City OK KSBI IND Jackson, TN TN WJKT FOX Memphis TN WLMT FOX Nashville TN WUXP MNT Houston TX CSS-H RSN Tyler-Longview-Lfkn & Ncgd TX KLPN MNT Charleston-Huntington WV WSAZ NBC
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