John Calipari kept it simple when the moment got big. He trusted his point guard.
“We put it in his hands and I trust him, and the team trusts him,” Calipari said on the TBS broadcast after the game.
That decision carried Arkansas through one of its toughest tests of the season, as the fourth-seeded Razorbacks outlasted 12th-seeded High Point 94-88 on Saturday night at Moda Center.
The win sends the Hogs to the Sweet 16 for the fifth time in six seasons and adds another chapter to a strong year.
Arkansas (28-8) will next face the winner of Arizona and Utah State in the West Region, with the Sweet 16 set for Thursday in San Jose, California.
The night ended with Darius Acuff in control, just as his coach intended.
With the game tied at 83-83, Acuff scored seven straight points to give the Razorbacks a lead they wouldn’t give back.
His pull-up 3-pointer with just over a minute left proved to be the decisive moment, pushing Arkansas ahead and shifting the pressure fully onto High Point.
Acuff finished with 36 points, setting a new program record for scoring in an NCAA Tournament game.
“Winning, that’s the only thing on my mind,” Acuff said. “Whatever I’ve got to do to get my team the win, that’s what I’m going to do.”
Razorbacks withstand early push from High Point
Before the late heroics, Arkansas had to handle a steady challenge from a confident opponent.
High Point came in riding a 15-game winning streak and played like a team that believed it could extend it.
The Panthers jumped out to an early lead and kept attacking throughout the first half.
Arkansas answered behind Acuff and Meleek Thomas, briefly building a lead that reached eight points.
Still, High Point continued to respond, cutting into the deficit with outside shooting and drives to the basket.
A late 3-pointer gave the Panthers a short-lived edge before the Razorbacks closed the half in front, 43-42.
The back-and-forth action set the tone for a game that would feature 15 lead changes.
Arkansas struggled at times to contain dribble penetration, which allowed High Point to score consistently in the paint.
Late execution lifts Hogs past determined Panthers
The second half brought even more tension, with neither team able to take full control.
A stretch of turnovers by Arkansas led to an 8-0 run by High Point, putting the Razorbacks behind 56-52.
Calipari called timeout, and his team responded.
Trevon Brazile returned after a hard fall and quickly made an impact with a corner 3-pointer that helped spark a turnaround.
From there, the teams traded baskets and momentum, with multiple lead changes over several minutes.
“I thought Malique Ewin down the stretch played well,” Calipari said.
Arkansas created a bit of separation with a 10-2 run, highlighted by a 3-pointer from Thomas and an and-1 finish by Acuff that made it 81-74.
But High Point answered again, tying the game at 83-83 with just over three minutes remaining.
That’s when Acuff delivered the sequence that defined the night.
He scored on consecutive drives, then buried a pull-up 3-pointer to push the Razorbacks ahead late.
High Point cut the deficit to four in the final seconds, but Acuff sealed the game at the free-throw line.
“It’s been a great journey [with] lot of learning,” Acuff said. “I’m going to keep learning. It’s been great playing with these guys. I love playing with them. I want to continue that.”
The Panthers finished their season at 31-5, bringing an end to the most successful run in program history.
For Arkansas, the win matched the 2021-22 team as the program’s winningest season since 1994-95.
It also added to Calipari’s résumé, marking his 17th trip to the Sweet 16 and tying him with Tom Izzo for the most among active coaches.
He also became one of only two coaches, along with former Razorbacks coach Eddie Sutton, to guide four different programs to the Sweet 16.
