No. 25 Alabama Survives Against No. 20 Arkansas In 117-115 Double Overtime Thriller

Jacob Perrine
Arkansas Razorback forward Trevon Brazile (7) tries to block Alabama Crimson Tide guard Houston Mallette (95) during the first half.

In what was possibly the game of the year in college basketball this season, the 25th-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide held on to beat the 20th-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks in a game that featured nothing but offense from both teams.

Darius Acuff Jr. and Labaron Philon Jr. Go To War

Whenever two teams that pride themselves on being high-scoring and high-pace offenses, you can expect to see some fireworks, and tonight’s game did not disappoint on that end of the floor. However, the majority of the points scored for both sides came through a pair of star players in Razorbacks freshman Darius Acuff Jr. and Crimson Tide sophomore Labaron Philon Jr.

It was a record-setting night for both players. Acuff Jr. dropped 49 points to set the Arkansas freshman single-game scoring record, and would fall just two points shy of tying the program record for most points in a game. Philon Jr. set a new career-high with 35 points and would pass former Crimson Tide great Brandon Miller for the most 20-point games in a single season with 15 in just 25 games played this season.

While both players were busy going back and forth, the offenses for both teams would operate at a high level overall tonight. Alabama shot 56% from the field, while Arkansas shot 49% from the field, and knocked down 13 threes at a great 48% clip for the game.

Alabama Receives Great Secondary Scoring Support in Win

Although Philon Jr. was the main story for the Alabama Crimson Tide on offense, he also had some help. That help came in the form of Aiden Sherrell and Amari Allen, who both attacked the backboard and paint in the win. Sherrell ended the night with 26 points and 13 rebounds, while Allen dropped a double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds.

Both players were the backbone of the Crimson Tide’s rebounding attack, as they accounted for a combined 25 rebounds of Alabama’s 36 total rebounds in the game.

Current SEC Standings and What’s Ahead For Both Teams

As the conference season nears the end, tonight’s game has major implications attached to it for both teams heading into the final two weeks of SEC play. For Arkansas, its hopes of the SEC regular season title took a bit of a hit with the loss. They now move two games behind No. 12 Florida for the top spot in the conference.

For Alabama, they stay right in the middle of the mix for the SEC crown as they now sit in a four-way tie for 2nd-place in the SEC with a 9-4 conference record. The SEC has seen quite a bit of fluctuation at the top all season, but the clear-cut contenders are quickly coming into focus down the stretch.

Following their loss tonight, Arkansas will return for a home game against Missouri on Saturday. While that game will be an important one, all eyes will be on the Razorbacks’ matchup against Florida, which will take place next Saturday in Gainesville.

The Crimson Tide will also have a quick turnaround this week, as they’ll go on the road to face off against LSU on Saturday. This game against the Razorbacks will be the last ranked team the Crimson Tide will face a top 25 team over their final four games of SEC play.