Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 3, 1994 TAG: 9404030217
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Jack Bogaczyk
DATELINE: CHARLOTTE, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
It actually was before tip-off. Arizona knew Corliss Williamson would be a boss hog to handle. The Wildcats didn't know the Razorback mascot was tough, too.
Playing on the Charlotte Coliseum floor before Saturday night's scintillating semifinal, the Arkansas Pig - out of costume Gary Dickison - tackled Wilbur the Wildcat. Fur was flying. Wilbur wobbled, then fell.
The man inside the 'Cat suit, Devin Elliott, suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
He was out for the season. Forty minutes later, so was his team. Arizona tried a rookie in Wilbur's suit, but not Lawrence Murray nor any other Arizona student could have handled Williamson as Arkansas pulled away in the last seven minutes for its 30th victory.
The Razorbacks had their First Fan in a private box above the floor, but President Clinton wasn't Arkansas' big man inside in its 91-82 triumph. That was 6-foot-7, 250-pound Williamson, whose 29 points, 13 rebounds and five assists ruined Arizona's bid to reach its first NCAA title game.
As if second-ranked Arkansas needed any other omens, one of the three game officials was Hillary. That's Ted Hillary of the Big Ten Conference.
The Wildcats (29-6) didn't need health care. They needed better perimeter play.
All season, the Pacific-10 Conference champions lived on the outside. In their second Final Four appearance, the Wildcats died on the inside.
"Williamson was the whole ballgame," said Arizona coach Lute Olson, 0-for-4 in Final Four games. "No matter what we tried to do with him, we couldn't handle him. He was just too tough a force down there, and he did a good job of finding the open people.
"You double players, and most lose their poise a little, but he didn't. They also did a great job guarding our guards when we penetrated into the paint."
Williamson was remarkable as he continued to show the nation's hoopheads why he's aptly called "Big Nasty." When Arizona doubled down on him late in the game, he found open cutters for easy hoops. With Arkansas' usually reliable 3-point shooters hitting only iron, Williamson's presence was the difference.
At the other end of the floor, the nation's best backcourt struggled - at best. Khalid Reeves and Damon Stoudamire combined for 11-of-43 shooting. In four NCAA victories, Reeves had averaged 29.3 points and Stoudamire 18.5.
"They got us here," Olson said. "When both are playing well, we play well, and usually when one plays well, we still do well. But when both have trouble, we usually don't win. it happened at UCLA; it happened at Washington [in losses]."
Arkansas caused some of those problems. Stoudamire was 0-for-10 before a buzzer-beating 30-footer ended the first half in a 41-41 tie. Reeves, in foul trouble, didn't have a field goal in the first 15 minutes of the second half.
"We definitely had open shots, shots we usually make," said Reeves, who finished his career with a 20-point game. "They just didn't go."
What else got Arizona this far was a defense that had limited Loyola (Md.), Virginia, Louisville and Missouri to combined 33 percent shooting. The Cardinals' .373 percentage was the best against the 'Cats until Arkansas hit .457.
That was the Razorbacks' worst shooting game in the tournament. It was good enough for the only top-seeded team in the Final Four.
Arizona led 65-62 when Reeves picked up his fourth personal. Then, the Razorbacks turned up the defensive pressure on Stoudamire, switching to a smaller lineup after starting big and pounding the three-guard Wildcats under the hoop.
Arkansas usually uses its "40 Minutes of Hell" pressure defense. Against depth-shy Arizona, eight was enough.
The result was a 12-0 Razorbacks run in a span of 2 minutes, 5 seconds, and a 74-67 lead with 5:58 left.
It was time to start the jets on Air Force One. Clinton plans to return for Monday night's title game - the first in Arkansas history after four semifinal losses.
If the Hogs are going to return the White House resident's visits next week, Williamson will have to carry them there. He has the shoulders - and more - to do it.
by CNB