Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson said before the tip-off of Friday night's Razorback game with Houston that Marshawn Powell suffered a knee injury he described as "serious" during the Hogs' practice Thursday evening in North Little Rock. Powell will be sidelined indefinitely, as more tests will be taken on the knee Monday, Anderson said.

"We don't know if it's a sprained knee or something worse in there," Anderson said of his most talented veteran returnee, who was hurt in a collision under the basket with another player in the workout. Powell was dressed in warmups and a hoodie Friday night during the game with Houston at Verizon Arena.

Powell, the 6-foot-7 junior forward from Newport News, Va., led the Razorback with 20 points in Wednesday's 91-68 win over Oakland in Fayetteville. Powell hit 8 of 8 shots in the first half as the Hogs roared to a 55-27 halftime lead.

"He had worked so hard in the off-season to get himself in the best shape he's ever been in," Anderson said. "It's a tremendous loss."

Arkansas is already short-handed both in total scholarship players (10 including Powell) and in players along the front line.

"It just means [Mike] Sanchez and [Marvell] Waithe are going to have to step up," Anderson said of playing without Powell. "Like an army, when one of your guys goes down, the others have to step up for him."

Other bigs for the Hogs are freshman forwards Hunter Mickelson and Devonta Abron.

Both Sanchez and Waithe were in the starting lineup for the Hogs against Houston Friday night.

*****

Forward Kirk Van Slyke had 19 points and Little Rock Central product Alandise Harris scored 18 points, leading five Houston Cougars in double figures in an 87-78 win at Verizon Arena

Houston broke away from a 36-all tie at halftime with a 25-11 run to start the second half. The Cougars hit 8 of their first 11 shots in the second half, while Arkansas struggled even with layups.

Arkansas had to turn to an all-guard lineup, with 6-5 freshman Ky Madden the tallest starter, to match the Cougars' small quick five with Van Slyke in foul trouble, as well as to put on its frantic pressure in the last 10 minutes. The Hogs closed a 15-point deficit to 4, 72-68, with 4:11 to play, but got no closer. Harris delivered a crushing follow dunk to push the Cougars lead to 80-72 and then hit two foul shots for an 82-74 lead with 59 seconds to play.