No. 2 Alabama fights off Razorbacks, 86-83

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The Arkansas Razorbacks don’t want to see this tired movie ever again.

For the fifth time this season, the University of Arkansas missed a 3-point shot at the buzzer that would have tied the game on Saturday. Ricky Council’s three-point try from the left wing caromed off the back rim, allowing No. 2 Alabama to escape with an 86-83 win before a crowd of 13,474 at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa.

The deja vu moment followed the nearly identical end-game scenarios from losses versus Creighton and at LSU, Missouri and Baylor for the Razorbacks (19-10, 8-8).

Alabama (25-4, 15-1) improved to 14-0 at home, took a key step toward winning the SEC regular season crown and remained in the conversation for the No. 1 overall seed for the NCAA Tournament. The Crimson Tide, led by freshman Brandon Miller’s 24 points and 25 of 30 free throw shooting, outscored the Razorbacks 58-46 in the second half.

“It’s a man’s game,” said Arkansas freshman Nick Smith, who had 24 points and 6 rebounds. “We’ve got to come out in the second half ready to play, and we weren’t ready to play. Simple.”

Davonte Davis had 21 points, including 3 of 4 shooting from 3-point range, and Council added 20 points, including 10 of 14 free throw shooting, to join Smith as the only Hogs in double figures.

Alabama’s Jahvon Quinerly scored 16 points, largely on driving layups, and Mark Sears added 13 points on the strength of 9 of 10 free throw shooting.

“Shoot, we didn’t score for the first few minutes, down 9 at the halftime, down 11, felt like we made some decent adjustments in the second half,” Alabama coach Nate Oats said. “I think Quinerly was able to get into the paint and create offense for us.”

The frustrated Razorbacks were left to wonder what an upset of the Crimson Tide could have done for their already strong No. 15 NET Ranking and what happened to another halftime lead.

“We really struggled to start the second half,” Arkansas coach Eric Musselman said. “That was the difference in the game was a stretch there to start the second half.”

Arkansas had used a 9-0 run, punctuated by Council’s lob dunk from Smith, to seize command and grab a 37-28 lead at halftime. The Razorbacks led at the half on the road for the seventh consecutive game, including at well-regarded Missouri,

Kentucky, Baylor and Texas A&M, but fell to 2-5 in those games.

The defining segment against the Crimson Tide came with Arkansas leading 46-41, when a scoreless stretch lasting 5:26 allowed Alabama to go on a 15-0 run.

Arkansas went 0 for 6 from the floor during that stretch, including five layups, 0 for 4 from the free throw line, and committed three turnovers as the Tide surged ahead 56-46.

“Just disappointed in our free throw shooting in that second half,” Musselman said. “We shoot a decent percentage from the foul line, it’s a possible different outcome. This Alabama team is obviously ranked second in the country, and playing at home it hadn’t lost a game. I thought our effort was tremendous.”

Arkansas executed its game plan well, which was limiting the damage from Alabama’s 3-point shooting. The Crimson Tide made 3 of 22 treys, its worst game from beyond the arc since going 3 of 28 in a 75-54 win over Longwood in the season opener.

The Hogs’ tight perimeter defense left them susceptible to dribble driving and quick guards Quinerly and Sears took advantage with a series of takes to the glass and trips to the line.

“You’re not going to take away both,” Musselman said of Alabama’s 3-point prowess and lane penetration. “You’re not going to do it. That’s why they’re ranked second in the country.

“The job that Davonte did defensively taking away the three was incredible. We felt like if we could take away the three that it would put us in position to possibly win the game.”

Quinerly, who did not score in Alabama’s 84-69 win at Bud Walton Arena on Jan. 11, found his flow at Coleman with 7 of 14 shooting, including one of the Tide’s made 3-pointers.

Alabama seemed firmly in control at 68-56 with 5:54 remaining after Quinerly’s drive for a layup against Council.

However, Davis responded with a 3-pointer, Anthony Black stuck in a put-back, Council scored four in a row and Davis connected from 3 to cut into the deficit. When a trap just over the half-court line produced a Smith steal and dunk with 1:49 remaining, Arkansas was within 75-70.

“There was probably a time when it didn’t look like we would be able to have the ball with a chance to put the game into overtime,” Musselman said. “But I thought our guys executed and had really, really good time management.”

A trey by Quinerly and Sears’ 7 of 8 free throw shooting in the final 1:09 kept Arkansas at bay before Smith’s 3-pointer from the right wing pulled the Hogs within 85-83 with 10 seconds left.

“We’ve got to learn how to close games better,” Oats said. “I think they scored 20 points in the last 2.5 minutes or so.

“Give Arkansas a ton of credit. They’re a talented team. Nick Smith is obviously really talented. They never quit on it. They got down. They hung in there. They gave themselves a chance there in the last 30 seconds.”

The Razorbacks fouled reserve guard Rylan Griffen with 7.8 seconds remaining and the freshman hit 1 of 2 free throws to make it 86-83.

Arkansas, out of timeouts, inbounded to Council, who drove down the left side and launched a 23-footer over Jaden Bradley as the horn sounded.

“We have a play that we had run the prior two times and had gotten really good looks,” Musselman said. “They denied our trigger guy the ball, and so Ricky… we were out of timeouts obviously. We got a 3-point shot up and you can take that possession and dissect it just like you could any during the course of a 40-minute game.”