ANDERSON: Hogs must cut turnovers.
FAYETTEVILLE — University of Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson knows his team’s turnover troubles from Saturday cannot leak over into tonight’s game at Auburn.
Anderson didn’t like his team’s 20 turnovers in a 77-67 loss to Mississippi
State at
Walton
Arena, and he really took exception to the nature of the turnovers in the second half, several that led to breakaway dunks for the Bulldogs, as they rapidly turned a 40-32 deficit into a 55-41 lead.
“The thing about it is it’s hard to recover from those kinds of turnovers,” Anderson said. “And it’s something we hadn’t been doing all year long. So all of a sudden it kind of rears its head and we’ve got to address it.”
Arkansas’ 10 first half turnovers were mostly of the dead-ball variety, like passes being thrown out of bounds or traveling calls. Many of the second-half turnovers resulted in Mississippi State steals and quick conversions as the Bulldogs led 27-22 in points off turnovers.
“Decision making is a big key,” Anderson said. “I thought the execution in the first half, I mean, the ball was moving, people were moving.
“I thought in the second half it was a little more stagnant. And so as it got stagnant, I thought our decision-making wasn’t very good. … Most of it was off penetration. We’d penetrate and leave our feet and just make bad decisions.”
Five Razorbacks — starters Adrio Bailey, Daniel Gafford, Jalen Harris and Isaiah Joe, and reserve Gabe Osabuohien — had three turnovers each against the Bulldogs.
“We had five guys with at least three turnovers,” Anderson said. “I don’t think that’s happened all year long.”