University of Arkansas Coach Eric Musselman credited the fans with helping the Razorbacks rally to beat Valparaiso 72-68 on Saturday night in North Little Rock.
"The crowd was awesome," Musselman said of his first game in Simmons Bank Arena. "Not many environments better than that in college basketball, I can tell you that."
An announced crowd of 15,630 was loud the entire game, but especially raucous when Arkansas (10-1) closed on a 21-9 run over the final 7:13 to overcome a 59-51 deficit.
"It was a fantastic atmosphere," Valparaiso Coach Matt Lottich said. "I really enjoyed it.