In a Wednesday night men's college basketball classic, the No. 25 Alabama Crimson Tide outlasted the No. 20 Arkansas Razorbacks 117-115 in a double-overtime thriller. The game featured a heroic 49-point performance from Arkansas freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr., but it wasn't enough to secure the road victory.
Acuff, a potential NBA lottery pick, forced the first overtime with a late three-pointer and helped force the second OT with clutch free throws. He finished the night shooting 16-of-27 from the field and 6-of-10 from three-point range, adding 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Arkansas also got 20 points from Billy Richmond and 24 from Meleek Thomas.
Alabama countered with a balanced and resilient effort. Labaron Philon Jr. led the Tide with 35 points and 7 assists, while Aiden Sherrell posted a double-double of 26 points and 13 rebounds. Amari Allen also had a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
The game was a back-and-forth affair. Arkansas held a 10-point halftime lead and led by 13 in the second half before Alabama mounted its comeback. The Crimson Tide took a late lead, but Acuff's three-pointer with 11.9 seconds left sent the game to overtime. After a second extra period, Arkansas had two final shots to tie the game in the closing seconds, but both attempts missed, sealing Alabama's dramatic win.