darius acuff's 49 not enough as Alabama survives 2OT thriller over Arkansas
In a game that lived up to the hype, Arkansas star freshman guard delivered one of the season's most spectacular individual performances but came up just short. The No. 25 Crimson Tide held on in double overtime for a 117-115 victory Wednesday night, Feb. 18, after a frantic finish that ended on a missed putback as the clock hit zero.
Acuff's historic night
The freshman was the story from the opening tip, finishing with 49 points on 16 of 27 shooting and 6 of 10 from long range. He also chipped in five rebounds and five assists while averaging nearly a point per minute. Acuff — a player now squarely on draft radars and averaging 21. 2 points and 6. 3 assists coming into the matchup — hit a late 3-pointer with 11. 9 seconds left in regulation to force the first overtime, then sank two free throws in the first extra period that helped the Razorbacks extend the game to a second overtime.
Acuff’s scoring came in waves: an explosive first half helped Arkansas build an early lead, and he stayed aggressive through two extra sessions. In the end he launched a floater at the rim in the final seconds that missed high off the glass, setting the stage for a desperate putback attempt that slammed off the back of the rim as time expired.
Alabama’s balanced response and the decisive plays
Alabama countered with a multi-pronged offensive effort. One starter poured in 35 points and handed out seven assists, while another big man dominated the glass with 26 points and 13 rebounds on 10 of 13 shooting. A third starter posted 19 points and 11 boards, and a fourth reached the 15-point mark, giving the Tide four starters in double figures and forcing Arkansas to work for every shot late.
Trailing by as many as 13 in the second half, Alabama staged a furious comeback. The Tide retook the lead at 80-79 in the second half on a big three-pointer and later moved in front late in regulation on a pair of free throws. The game traded blows in the extra sessions, and with the clock winding down in the second overtime, a timely find into the corner created space for a go-ahead bucket that pushed the home side in front 117-113.
Arkansas answered with a bucket but could not convert the final attempts that would have tied the game. The decisive final sequence saw an aggressive putback try come away empty; Alabama secured the rebound as the horn sounded and escaped with the two-point win in front of a raucous crowd.
What this means moving forward
The result keeps Alabama firmly in the mix in the conference standings and highlights the Tide's ability to rally when challenged. For Arkansas, the loss is a brutal reminder of how a historic individual night can still fall short without timely support in the clutch. Acuff’s 49-point outburst will be remembered as one of the season’s great single-game performances, but the Razorbacks now head home having missed a chance to steal a marquee road victory.
Both teams showed why they rank among the nation’s most entertaining offenses, trading bucket-for-bucket over 50 minutes of play. The matchup will be talked about for weeks — a classic SEC stage game where individual brilliance and collective resolve collided, and where the final play came down to inches and a shot that refused to drop.
