TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The numbers were loud, the moments bigger, and the ending cruel for Arkansas.
No. 20 Arkansas fell to No. 25 Alabama 117-115 in double overtime Wednesday night, despite a historic 49-point effort from freshman guard Darius Acuff.
The loss dropped the Razorbacks to 19-7 overall and 9-4 in SEC play, matching the Crimson Tide’s conference mark.
Acuff delivered one of the greatest scoring performances in program history, but Alabama made just enough plays in the final seconds to extend its winning streak in the series to six.
The Hogs rode their freshman star for all 50 minutes. Acuff forced overtime with a game-tying 3-pointer with 12 seconds left in regulation. He finished 16 of 27 from the field, 6 of 10 from beyond the arc and 11 of 12 at the free-throw line while adding five rebounds and five assists.
His 49 points set a freshman scoring record for Arkansas and marked the most ever by a freshman against an AP-ranked opponent in college basketball history. It was also the highest scoring game by a John Calipari-coached college player.
Acuff had a chance to tie Rotnei Clarke’s program record of 51 points but missed a runner in the closing seconds of the second overtime. Malique Ewin’s put-back attempt was off, sealing the outcome.
“No excuses,” Calipari said. “We had our chances to win, missed a couple dunks, tried to go one-hand them. If you make those, the game’s over and you win. But I’m proud of these guys. Man, they fought.”
The game started at a fast pace. Alabama opened on a 10-0 run over 1:26 to grab a 15-9 lead while shooting 6 of 7 from the floor. Calipari burned an early timeout, and Arkansas responded.
The Razorbacks tied it at 15-15 and then exploded on a 13-0 run, pushing ahead 37-23 on a Billy Richmond layup. Meleek Thomas knocked down two 3-pointers and a mid-range jumper during the surge, while Acuff added a 3 off an offensive rebound.
Arkansas led 57-47 at halftime behind 22 points from Acuff and 16 from Thomas. It marked the most first-half points the Hogs had scored in an SEC game since February 2015.
Thomas drilled back-to-back 3s early in the second half to stretch the lead to 65-51, the largest margin of the night. But Alabama slowly chipped away.
The Crimson Tide reached the bonus with 11:15 left in regulation and used a 17-2 run to flip a 79-68 deficit into an 85-79 lead. Labaron Philon fueled the push, scoring nine points during that stretch while attacking defenders in foul trouble.
“We were fortunate enough to drive these guys and get them in foul trouble,” Alabama coach Nate Oats said on his postgame radio show. “They settled for a lot of pull-up jumpers, and it was good. We got to the rim and we shot some more free throws and made up for the fact that some other calls didn’t go our way.”
Fouls became a central storyline. Alabama shot 27 of 34 from the free-throw line, compared to 16 of 19 for Arkansas.
“We got to the line 19 times,” Calipari said. “They got to the line 34 times. And we’re a lane-touching team. But I guess their drive drew fouls and ours didn’t.”
Three players in the Razorbacks’ seven-man rotation — Thomas, Nick Pringle and Richmond — fouled out in overtime. With Karter Knox and Isaiah Sealy already sidelined by injury, Arkansas leaned on Jaden Karuletwa and Elmir Dzafic in key late possessions.
“The kids fought,” Calipari said. “I’m disappointed, but I’m proud of them. We were getting so many fouls called that it’s hard. They’re moving and jamming, and then we’re not getting to the line.”
Alabama capitalized, scoring 58 points in the paint and shooting 56% from the field. Philon led the Tide with 35 points, while Aiden Sherrell added 26, Amari Allen 19 and Aden Holloway 15.
“Obviously, our defense on Acuff wasn’t very good,” Oats said. “But we had 2 more points than them at the end, and he missed a shot there at the end that we needed him to miss.”
The Razorbacks led 100-95 early in the first overtime after a 3-pointer from D.J. Wagner and a jumper from Richmond. Alabama answered with a 7-0 burst to take control.
Houston Mallette hit two 3-pointers in the extra periods, including one that gave the Tide a 117-113 lead with 51 seconds left in the second overtime.
“Those 3s were huge,” Oats said. “The one put us up 4 in the second overtime ended up winning us the game.”
Thomas finished with 24 points and Richmond added 20 before fouling out. Together with Acuff, the trio accounted for 81% of Arkansas’ scoring.
“Meleek Thomas and Acuff had themselves quite a night — super efficient,” Oats said. “Combined, they went 12 for 20 from 3, which those two guys are really good players. I mean, there’s a reason they were rated as high as they were coming out of high school, and they showed why tonight.”
Both overtime sessions ended with missed put-back attempts by Ewin after Acuff shots. In a game filled with offense and shot-making, the final margin came down to second chances that wouldn’t fall.
“I played guys 40 minutes,” Calipari said. “I played guys every minute I could play them, and they were giving us everything they have. We can’t ask for anything more.”
