WATCH: Vanderbilt player ejected, Jerry Stackhouse assessed technical foul as Arkansas gets seven free throws following scuffle
Things started to get tense late in the first half of Saturday’s Arkansas vs. Vanderbilt. Multiple technical fouls were assessed in the final minute and one Commodores player was ejected after a scuffle under the basket.
Razorbacks guard Anthony Black went up for a layup and Vanderbilt big man Quentin Millora-Brown went to the ground after going for the block. Black appeared to look over him afterward and was shoved by Vandebilt guard Ezra Manjon, who was assessed two technical fouls and subsequently ejected. As the referees explained what happened, Vanderbilt coach Jerry Stackhouse was also given a technical foul and tossed his clipboard in frustration as he headed back toward the bench.
That brought the grand total to seven free throws for Arkansas with 49.8 seconds to play in the first half.
After making six of the seven attempts from the line, Arkansas saw its lead grow to 42-32. Vanderbilt made two free throws of its own later on to ultimately make it a 42-34 Razorbacks lead at halftime as the team headed to the locker rooms.
This isn’t the first time Stackhouse’s frustration resulted in a technical foul this season. He also got thrown out of a game against VCU in November and had to be escorted off the court after officials called a technical foul on Liam Robbins.
Vanderbilt brought an 8-8 overall record into Saturday’s game, including a 1-2 mark in SEC play. The Commodores are coming off back-to-back losses to Mizzou and Tennessee, and Vols coach Rick Barnes predicted Stackhouse and Co. could still find a way to make the NCAA Tournament.
“It takes time and you gotta get fortunate too,” Barnes said. “You do. You think about it, if Scotty Pippen was still there, they would probably be picked top three teams in the league and that hurts…What he does a great job of is developing players. How many new players does he have this year. He’s lost some, obviously, through the portal, which we all do. But what impresses me about him is how his team continues to get better. It’ll happen. I mean could happen this year.”