FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas needed a late push Tuesday night to escape an upset bid at Bud Walton Arena, holding off Winthrop 84-83 in a matchup that stayed tight from start to finish.
The Razorbacks moved to 4-1 on the season while improving to 4-0 at home. Winthrop dropped to 2-3 but left Fayetteville with one of its strongest performances of the early schedule.
Freshman guard Meleek Thomas delivered a career-best 26 points, shooting 10 of 20 from the field and making three of eight from long range.
His scoring provided about the only consistency for the Hogs throughout the night as Arkansas spent most of the game responding to long-distance shooting from a Winthrop squad that hit 15 of 31 from three-point range.
Arkansas struggled to create separation as the Eagles continued to find open looks on the perimeter. The Razorbacks never led by more than eight, and Winthrop never trailed by more than the same margin.
That back-and-forth rhythm set the stage for a tight ending that turned on a stretch in which Arkansas scored the final six points of the game.
With Winthrop up 83-78, Arkansas began its closing push. Trevon Brazile knocked down a midrange jumper, and Thomas added a layup as the Razorbacks tightened the margin.
The key moment came with about 11 seconds left when a Winthrop turnover allowed Arkansas to regain possession trailing by a single point.
Nick Pringle, who had battled foul trouble earlier in the half, cut to the rim and converted a layup to give Arkansas an 84-83 lead.
On the same sequence, tempers flared between Pringle and Winthrop’s Logan Duncomb, resulting in offsetting technical fouls. Duncomb, who had already been in foul trouble, fouled out on the play.
Several players were ejected for leaving the bench area during the brief confrontation, though the game resumed without further incident.
Thomas then made one of the biggest defensive plays of the night. Winthrop attempted to push the ball in transition after Pringle’s go-ahead basket, but Thomas forced another turnover near midcourt.
The Razorbacks recovered the ball and secured it long enough to force Winthrop into a final desperation shot instead of a set play.
Winthrop’s last chance came as Daylen Berry brought the ball across halfcourt and pulled up for a three-pointer near the top of the key. Thomas contested the shot, and the ball bounced off the rim just before time expired.
Arkansas closed out the narrow win despite a night in which Winthrop’s shooting threatened to swing the outcome.
The Eagles had three players in double figures. Kareem Rozier scored 23 points while hitting seven three-pointers.
Kody Clouet added 16 points, all coming from behind the arc.
Winthrop’s spacing and perimeter movement created challenges for the Arkansas defense throughout the game, especially as the Eagles stayed confident from deep even when the Razorbacks made interior adjustments.
Arkansas countered with balanced scoring behind Thomas. Brazile finished with 14 points and added steady production in the paint.
Darius Acuff Jr. added 12 points while helping stabilize the offense against Winthrop’s late traps.
Pringle’s nine points included the most important basket of the game, though his night also included long stretches on the bench due to fouls.
Both teams dealt with limited bench depth after the late-game altercation, but Arkansas maintained enough composure to secure the final possessions.
The Razorbacks also finished with a slight advantage in rebounding, gaining key second-chance opportunities that prevented Winthrop from building a larger lead during its strongest shooting stretches.
The win keeps Arkansas on schedule before its next matchup, a home game Friday against Jackson State. Winthrop will stay on the road for another challenge Sunday, also against Jackson State.
Key takeaways:
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Meleek Thomas scored a career-high 26 points and led Arkansas in a narrow win.
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Arkansas closed the game with a 6-0 run after trailing late in regulation.
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Strong three-point shooting from Winthrop kept the game tight throughout.
