Razorbacks Turn in Memorable Weekend

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – What a Weekend! If you are a Razorback fan, the past several days provided a little bit of everything including record-breaking performances, wins by nationally ranked home teams, wins over nationally ranked opponents and most importantly an undefeated record by teams representing the University of Arkansas.

From Thursday through Sunday, Razorback teams went a combined 6-0 with several marquee victories in front of record attendances providing fans with plenty of memorable moments.

Men's Basketball
A season-high 19,050 fans packed Bud Walton Arena on Saturday afternoon to cheer on the men's basketball team in a nationally televised non-conference game against No. 19 Michigan. Mike Anderson's Razorbacks raced out to a big lead and held off the Wolverines in a frenzied finish to capture a 66-64 victory.

Freshmen B.J. Young and Hunter Mickelson were sensational scoring 15 and 11 points, respectively. The two combined for the key basket in the game's final minute. After screening for Young, Mickelson made a move to the rim where Young found him for the lay-in as the shot clock expired to help give the Razorbacks the win.

The Razorbacks improve to 14-5 overall, including 14-0 at home. The victory was Arkansas' second over a top 20 opponent at Bud Walton Arena this season. The men's basketball team returns to Bud Walton Arena this Wednesday night when they host the Auburn Tigers at 8 p.m.

Football
At halftime of the men's basketball game against Michigan, another Razorback squad was recognized for posting one of the most successful seasons in school history. The Razorback football team was recognized in front of the sellout crowd for an 11-2 season including a 29-16 win over No. 6 Kansas State in the AT&T Cotton Bowl. It was the third 11-win season in Razorback history and the fourth time Arkansas has finished the season ranked in the top five nationally.

During the ceremony, representatives of the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic presented three trophies including the Field Scovell Trophy to head football coach Bobby Petrino and the 2012 AT&T Cotton Bowl champions. Assistant football coach Steve Caldwell accepted the Felix McKnight Defensive MVP trophy on behalf of defensive end Jake Bequette. Quarterback Tyler Wilson was presented the J. Curtis Sanford Offensive MVP trophy.

Women's Basketball
The men's basketball team's win over No. 19 Michigan on Saturday marked the second win by a Razorback team over a nationally ranked opponent at Bud Walton Arena last week. The women's basketball team started the Razorback winning streak on Thursday night with an impressive 69-47 win over No. 22 Vanderbilt.

Arkansas opened the game on a 17-4 run and never looked back in upsetting the Commodores. The Razorbacks were paced by dominating performances by Sarah Watkins and Ashley Daniels in the post. Watkins led all scorers with 21 points while Daniels pitched in 17 points.

Coach Tom Collen's Razorbacks made it three wins in a row in SEC play on Sunday when they traveled to Baton Rouge, La., to register a 72-52 win over the Tigers. Four Razorbacks scored in double figures led by senior Lyndsay Harris who scored 17 points, including four three pointers. Senior Ashley Daniels added 11 and Baton Rouge, La., native Dominique Robinson and senior C'eira Ricketts had 10 each.

Gymnastics
The No. 3 Arkansas gymnastics team celebrated its program's 10th anniversary with history of its own in a win over the No. 25 LSU Tigers on Friday night. Arkansas set a school record with a score of 197.225 in front of a school-record crowd of 5,537. The Razorbacks improved to 6-0 overall and 2-0 in the Southeastern Conference.

Senior All-American Jaime Pisani and sophomore All-American Katherine Grable combined for four 9.95s. Pisani tied the school record with a 9.95 on bars and her own record of 9.95 on floor. Grable tied for floor mark with a 9.95 and matched the second-best score with a 9.95 on vault.

As part of the 10-year anniversary, the inaugural team from 2003 was honored along with many returning former Razorbacks from the other teams.

Women's Tennis
Earlier in the day on Friday, the No. 24 Razorback women's tennis team opened the spring dual match season with a solid 6-1 season opening victory over Louisville. The victory marked head coach Michael Hegarty's ninth-straight season opening victory with Arkansas. The Razorbacks will return to the hard court to compete in the ITA Kickoff next weekend.

Swimming and Diving
Another nationally ranked Razorback team took care of business on Saturday morning when the No. 20 women's swimming and diving team outscored Kansas 199-96. Arkansas dominated winning all 14 events it entered a scoring competitor. Freshman Julia Banach, junior Chelsea Franklin, senior Katie Whitbeck and freshman Susanna White all won two events each.

The second semester is just underway and there are more than likely plenty of exciting games and moments to come over the next few months. If last weekend was any indication, 2012 could be a special year for Razorback fans.