The crowd of 23,000 was not as loud as I expected, had more of a restless feel. That uneasy feeling they no doubt felt last year during a few games. This one was supposed to be different though; the team they were playing was not even supposed to play close. Luckily no one told the other team that.
That other team was, of course, Ouachita, playing in the legendary Rupp Arena against the legendary Kentucky Wildcats. The crowd had that uneasy feeling with 7:02 left in the first half when guard Rowan Ledbetter made a short jumper, was fouled and made the free throw tying the game at 24.
Wildcat fans could not believe it. They were all around me, and I could hear them whispering to themselves “what is going on, we should be up by 20 right now.” A smile came across my face as I realized the Wildcat nation and perhaps their players greatly underestimated the Division II Tigers.
Ouachita went into a place where they were given no chance and played their hearts out. They were outsized, but that did not stop them from going directly to the hoop. They did not have as many fans, but that did not hurt their motivation. They simply went out there and played basketball. Sure there may have been some jitters, but I think the people in the crowd were a little more jittery.
The Tigers were led by Ledbetter, who had 15 points in the first half, and Jaranimo Marks, who had 20 points.
The Wildcats did end up winning the game by 22, and considering they beat the first team they played by around 60 is pretty good. They ended up being too deep and especially too tall for the Tigers to handle.
After the game the Tigers were happy with their effort, but thought they could have played better.
Marks, who scored all of his 20 points in the second half, said afterward, “If I could have just been hitting my shot earlier it may have been closer.”
Kentucky, however, was not as happy. In the locker room Kentucky Head Coach Billy Gillispie only told his players “see you in the morning,” insinuating that practice the next morning would be tough, and from what we heard, it was.
I was sitting by a guy who did the pre-game and post-game television shows for the Wildcats. He had coincidently coached at the University of Arkansas at Monticello back in the AIC days, and he kept saying how athletic and good Ouachita was.
The Tigers proved that two days later traveling to McNeese State University, another Division I school, and beating them 65-61. That showed they not only can play, but they also have heart and can bounce back from a loss.
This has the potential to be one of the best basketball teams Ouachita has had in a while. They are athletic, can shoot and are well coached. It will be a delight to watch them all year, and I know I can speak for the players when they ask for your support at the games. The first home game is Tuesday. See you there.
