Clarke paces Hogs past Kentucky

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Coty Clarke is feeling more and more at home toward the end of his first season at Arkansas.

Clarke did a lot of everything when the Razorbacks needed it the most on Saturday — finishing with 14 points and a career-high 12 rebounds as Arkansas did its best to make a renewed case for an NCAA tournament bid with a convincing 73- 60 win over Kentucky.

The j unior- college transfer had six assists and three steals for the Razorbacks (18-11, 9-7 Southeastern Conference), who improved to 17-1 at home. Clarke is averaging 12 points and 6.8 rebounds over his last five games and the 6-foot-7 forward showed off his comfort level and versatility on Saturday.

“It’s become real comfortable for me,” Clarke said. “My confidence, it’s sky-high, I guess right now, you could say.”

Arkansas’ only loss in Bud Walton Arena this season came to then-No. 6 Syracuse on Nov. 30 and it is now 33-4 at home under second-year coach Mike Anderson. Marshawn Powell had 15 points and B.J. Young added 13 for the Razorbacks, which snapped a two-game losing streak.

Arkansas native Archie Goodwin led the Wildcats (20-9, 11-5) with 14 points, while freshman center Willie Cauley-Stein had 13 points and 10 rebounds and Ryan Harrow added 10 points.

After a tight first half, Arkansas took control early in the second and never let off the intensity against the defending national champions.

A sellout crowd of 18,139 in Bud Walton Arena arrived early and thrived on a serious of highlights for the Razorbacks — particularly as they pushed the lead to as many as 15 points in the second half.

An 11-0 run early in the second half — capped by a 3-pointer and three-point play by Powell — gave Arkansas a 43-31 lead and put it well on its way to a much-needed win if the school hopes to reach the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2008.

“I was concerned about how we would respond coming off a tough loss on the road at LSU,” Anderson said.

“But I thought we came out and we did what we normally do here — we defended.”

Kentucky, which had won three straight, closed to 45-40 after a 3-pointer by Alex Poythress, but that was as close as it got.

“We weren’t as tough as them, and we didn’t play as hard as them,” Kentucky coach John Calipari said. “They wanted the game more than us, and that team usually wins.

“And they did.”