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Published Feb 25, 2021
Hoops Notebook: Henderson, Notae make most of opportunities, more
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Andrew Hutchinson  •  HawgBeat
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FAYETTEVILLE — Buried on the bench, Ethan Henderson hadn’t even seen the floor in three weeks going into Wednesday’s game.

When freshman Jaylin Williams picked up his second foul in the first half and playing an opposing style that didn’t fit Connor Vanover’s strengths, head coach Eric Musselman called upon the lightly used veteran.

Checking in at the 8:09 mark, it was Henderson’s first appearance since getting 27 seconds of garbage time at the end of Arkansas’ blowout win over Mississippi State on Feb. 2.

He ended up playing all but 36 seconds of the rest of the first half and contributed two points, two rebounds, two blocked shots and an assist in his 7.5 minutes of action during the Razorbacks’ 81-66 win over No. 6 Alabama.

“I thought Ethan came in and did a really good job,” Musselman said. “His quickness off the floor tonight really helped us when he went in and his seven minutes were really valuable minutes. He played his role - he rebounded and he blocked two shots.”

Both of Henderson’s blocks drew a loud cheer from the Bud Walton Arena crowd and his two points came when he finished a tough bucket down low.

One of his best plays, though, came in the final minute of the half. He grabbed an offensive rebound after JD Notae missed a three-pointer and - instead of trying to go up with it himself - he kicked it back out to Notae on the wing, who didn’t miss on his second try.

“We couldn't ask anything more from him,” teammate Moses Moody said. “Just being able to come off the bench and do that after not playing for a while, might be a little cold, but just staying ready whenever your name is called on, that's very impressive from him.”

Henderson has played in only 12 of the Razorbacks’ 23 games and several of those appearances came in garbage time. His eight minutes Wednesday night were his third most of the season. Interestingly, his season high was set in the blowout at Alabama, when he played 15 minutes.

Here are a few other notes, tidbits and stats from Arkansas’ big win…

Notae’s Scoring Spark

Having scored only four total points on a combined 2 of 8 shooting over the last two games, Notae broke out of his slump against Alabama.

In addition to the aforementioned three-pointer in the final minute, the transfer from Jacksonville also had a steal and fast break layup that turned into a traditional three-point play down the stretch in the first half.

Notae had a personal 6-0 run in a span of 48 seconds with about six minutes remaining in the game, as well, giving him 12 points in just 16 minutes of play.

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