Collum gets serious for Tennessee

Issac McBride, a four-year starter at Baptist Prep who was named the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette boys player of the year, had 17 points for the Arkansas All-Stars in a 93-91 loss to the Tennessee All-Stars in the Mike Conley Rising Stars Game at P.A.R.K. in Little Rock.
Issac McBride, a four-year starter at Baptist Prep who was named the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette boys player of the year, had 17 points for the Arkansas All-Stars in a 93-91 loss to the Tennessee All-Stars in the Mike Conley Rising Stars Game at P.A.R.K. in Little Rock.

It was all fun and games for Antavion Collum in the early going of Friday's Mike Conley Jr. All-Star Classic, but the University of Mississippi commit was strictly business during crunch time.

Collum, a 6-7, 215-pound forward, scored all 19 of his points after halftime to fuel a furious second-half rally as the Tennessee All-Stars roared back to beat the Arkansas All-Stars 93-91 in front of a big crowd at P.A.R.K. on the opening day of the Real Deal in the Rock.

Calvin Temple added 20 points for Tennessee, which faced a 14-point deficit at halftime and trailed 43-28 early in the second half before a change in mindset got Collum and his teammates going.

"Man, Arkansas came out playing tough from the start," said Collum, who held scholarship offers from Florida, Florida State and Georgetown before signing with Ole Miss. "We all wanted to come out and just have fun in the beginning, but we weren't having fun when we saw how [Arkansas] came out. So we had to do some things different and get serious about it in the second half.

"We did that, and we were able to come out with a win."

Collum, who averaged nearly 16 points per game this past season for Bartlett (Tenn.), added 9 rebounds, 4 blocks and 3 steals for Tennessee, which shot 25 of 35 (71 percent) in the second half and 38 of 61 (62 percent) for the game.

Airion Simmons had 18 points, 9 rebounds and 4 steals while Issac McBride had 17 points for the Arkansas All-Stars, who held a 62-52 lead with less than six minutes to play but couldn't hold it.

"It was one of those things," McBride said. "We wanted to win, we really did, but we wanted to enjoy it, too. I know a lot of the guys on that Memphis squad, and we all joked with each other for most of the game.

"But when it got late and they started making their run, we tried to lock in a little more. We just couldn't get the shots we needed to fall."

Collin Moore had 15 points while Branton McCrary and Jacob Profit each had 10 for Arkansas, which finished 34-of-61 shooting (55.7 percent).

Tennessee scored 22 of the first 32 points of the second half and pulled within 52-50 on Collum's dunk with 9:04 left in the game, but a McBride three-pointer started a 10-2 run that helped push Arkansas' lead to 10. Collum and Temple, though, combined to score 15 of Tennessee's next 17 points, with Temple's floater eventually tying the game at 69-69. The teams were tied at 73-73 when Temple's 24-footer started an 11-2 run that gave Tennessee the lead for good. Arkansas did feel it should've been given a chance to tie it or even win it with two seconds left after a Tennessee inbounds pass hit the ceiling. But the officials decided to end it after the ball landed near midcourt as the final horn sounded.

"We wanted to win it, we didn't, but we all had a blast just the same," Arkansas Coach Fitz Hill said. "It was a whole lot of talent out there, and the fans got a chance to see that. That much talent between the Little Rock area and Memphis. ... that's incredible.

"We should've had a last chance to pull it out, though. Still, it was a competitive game all the way through, and that's what you want."

photo

Kaleb Higgins (left) of the Arkansas All-Stars drives to the basket during Friday’s Mike Conley Jr. All-Star Classic in Little Rock. The Tennessee All-Stars defeated the Arkansas All-Stars 93-91 on the opening day of the Real Deal in the Rock.

Sports on 04/06/2019

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