BABB SPARKS sputtering Arkansas offense.
NASHVILLE , Tenn. — With Arkansas struggling to score points Saturday against Georgia, the Razorbacks got an offensive boost from an unlikely source.
Freshman guard Nick Babb, who hadn’t scored in Arkansas’ 19 previous games, had five points off the bench during a four-minute span in the first half to help the Razorbacks beat Georgia 6049 in the SEC Tournament semifinals at Bridgestone Arena.
Five points may not sound like a lot, but the Razorbacks led 16-12 before Babb helped them go on a 9-2 run over the final 3:53 of the first half to go ahead 25-17.
Babb didn’t play in seven of the Razorbacks’ SEC games and played one minute in Thursday night’s quarterfinal game against Tennessee.
So what led Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson to put Babb into Saturday’s game in the first half?
“I just had a gut feeling about it,” Anderson said. “I told Nick earlier, ‘You’ve got to step up today, you’re going to have to play. Be ready. I’m going to call on you.’ ”
Babb hit two free throws for his first points since scoring two against Utah Valley State on Jan. 3, then hit a three-point basket as the 35-second shot clock was running down.
“I thought he really gave us an injection of energy,” Anderson said. “We needed somebody that could go out there and really spark our team, and he was that spark. He went out and did all the things I thought he was capable of doing. He played with confidence.”
Babb said it was rewarding to contribute to an SEC Tournament victory.
“I felt like it was my chance to show Coach what I could do, especially against a pretty good team like Georgia,” Babb said. “I just wanted to prove that I deserved to be out there.”
Babb’s five points matched his season high. He also scored against Wake Forest in the second game of the season.
1,001 for Portis
Arkansas forward Bobby Portis became the third Razorbacks sophomore to score 1,000 points when he had a three-point play with 15:06 left against Georgia.
The other sophomores to score 1,000 points are Todd Day and Scotty Thurman.
“That’s a big accomplishment,” Portis said. “That doesn’t happen every day, but I’m still humble about it and just happy that my teammates found me for those 1,000 points in two years.”
Title shot
Razorbacks forward Alandise Harris, a fifth-year senior from Little Rock, said he’s thankful for the opportunity to win an SEC Tournament title in his final season as a college player.
Harris is playing in his second season for the Razorbacks after transferring from Houston and redshirting.
“This is what I’ve been working towards the whole time,” Harris said. “This is why I felt Houston — because the program wasn’t really going anywhere — to come to Arkansas and play for a program that was on the rise and could do bigger and better things.”
Not interested in UK
Count Arkansas forward Bobby Portis as one McDonald’s All-American who never was interested in playing for Kentucky.
“I committed to Arkansas in the 10th grade,” said Portis, a sophomore from Little Rock Hall. “I didn’t really give anyone else a chance. I was always a Hog, baby.”
Tired legs
Arkansas and Georgia won quarterfinal games Friday night, then had to play at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. The quick turnaround was evident for both teams.
With less than six minutes left in the first half, the Razorbacks and Bulldogs were tied 12-12 and had combined to shoot 9 of 37 from the field.
“It seemed like we were playing on empty there to start the game off,” Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson.
Georgia had less recovery time than Arkansas because the Bulldogs’ 74-62 victory over South Carolina didn’t end until about 11 p.m. Thursday. The Razorbacks’ victory over Tennessee ended at about 8:30 p.m.
“It’s very difficult for both teams to play last night and turn around and play pretty basketball the next afternoon,” Georgia Coach Mark Fox said.
60 enough
Arkansas’ 60-49 victory over Georgia marked the fewest points for the Razorbacks this season in a game they won. They won at Missouri 61-60.
Just 25
Arkansas led Georgia 2517 at halftime, which matched the Razorbacks’ fewest points in the first half this season. In a 68-65 overtime loss at Clemson, Arkansas trailed 29-25 at halftime.
Back in the final
The Razorbacks advanced to the SEC Tournament final for the sixth time and the first time since 2008, when they lost to Georgia. Their lone tournament title was in 2000, when they beat Auburn in the final.