Alabama
Arkansas
Alabama Hangs on to Halt Arkansas’ Win Streak with 68-67 Win Inside Coleman Coliseum
2/12/2022 12:26:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The Crimson Tide snapped Arkansas nine-game winning streak with a one-point win
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Graduate transfer Noah Gurley hit back-to-back go-ahead baskets in the final 90 seconds to help lift the Alabama men's basketball team to a narrow 68-67 victory over Arkansas Saturday afternoon inside Coleman Coliseum.
With the win, the Crimson Tide (16-9, 6-6 SEC) snapped the Razorbacks' (19-6, 8-4) nine-game winning streak, which included a defeat over No. 1 Auburn last Tuesday night.
Freshman guard JD Davison led Alabama in scoring for the first time in his career, finishing with 11 points and four assists in the victory, while junior Jaden Shackelford was the only other UA player to reach double figures, finishing with 10 points and five boards.
The Crimson Tide's bench contributed 29 points compared to the Razorbacks' seven, led by 17 combined points from Charles Bediako (9) and James Rojas (8).
Arkansas was led by Jaylin Williams (22) and Stanley Umude (19), who combined for 41 of the Razorbacks' 67 total points.
Head Coach Nate Oats Postgame Comments
"Our guys fought hard. We got up 13 on them in the second half. Give Arkansas a ton of credit for coming back. We didn't take care of the ball well enough. We had way too many turnovers and gave up too many offensive boards. A lot of that is due to how hard Arkansas plays, really winning the offensive boards and pressured us into turning it over some. The guys showed a lot of resolve. We got down after being up 13 and Noah scored two straight go-ahead buckets. He was huge for us late in the game. He didn't shoot the three particularly well tonight, but he did a great job finishing around the rim and he played really hard. I'm really happy for him. We've got plenty of stuff to improve on, but that was a big one. They are the hottest team in the SEC. They had won nine straight and were playing great basketball. I thought our guys did a pretty good job on JD Notae. We were obviously helped out by his foul trouble and him not playing much the first half, but we did a pretty good job on him. Defensively, our first shot defense was great. We have got to do a better job of rebounding the ball defensively."
.@JusaunH makes it 5-for-10 from 3-point range ??
— Alabama Men's Basketball (@AlabamaMBB) February 12, 2022
Alabama 19, Arkansas 14 | 11:57 1st H#RollTide | #BlueCollarBasketball pic.twitter.com/4JJCqXQ2MC
Team Stats
- All 10 players who saw action for the Crimson Tide scored at least two points
- Alabama's win snapped a nine-game win streak for Arkansas, which included eight straight in SEC play
- Darius Miles pulled down seven rebounds to lead UA, while Jahvon Quinerly and Davison led in assists with four each
- The Tide finished with 29 points off the bench, with 10 total players contributing in scoring throughout the matchup
- Rojas tied his season-high in scoring with eight points, shooting a perfect 2-of-2 from the field and sinking three free throws
.@Tyrese_Ellis00 ?? @CBediako
— Alabama Men's Basketball (@AlabamaMBB) February 12, 2022
??https://t.co/hjA1hjcGBT#RollTide | #BlueCollarBasketball pic.twitter.com/mJDcbZbZB8
First Half
- After Arkansas jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead, Alabama responded with a 21-9 run while shooting 5-of-10 from beyond the arc to take a 21-14 advantage with 10:59 to play
- The Tide continued to build its lead, taking its largest lead of the half, 28-18, with 8:34 remaining
- The Razorbacks responded with a 9-0 run to close the gap to one, 28-27, with 4:21 left on the clock
- The two teams continued to trade baskets, with the Tide carrying a 37-32 lead into the break
- Bediako led the Tide in scoring with nine, shooting 3-of-4 from the field along with making 3-of-4 free throws
- UA finished the half with 10 assists on 12 field goals while shooting 12-of-26 from the floor
Second Half
- The Tide came out of the gate hot with a 6-1 run to open the half to take its first double-digit lead of the game at 43-33 with 18:12 remaining
- The Tide built its lead to 13 points at 60-47 with just over 10 minutes left, when Arkansas went on an 18-4 run over a six-minute-plus span to take its first lead of the second half at 65-64 with 1:43 to play
- Noah Gurley scored the final basket of the game with 0:27 on the clock, with the Tide following the layup with a stop to close out the win
- Davison shot 3-of-6 from the field to contribute eight points throughout the half, adding two assists and two rebounds
AGAIN @noahgurley
— Alabama Men's Basketball (@AlabamaMBB) February 12, 2022
Alabama 68, Arkansas 67 | 0:27 2nd H#RollTide | #BlueCollarBasketball pic.twitter.com/nwmb7RiTva
Up Next
Alabama will stay at home to face off against Mississippi State this Wednesday, Feb. 16, in Coleman Coliseum. The contest will tip off at 6 p.m. CT and will be televised on either ESPN2.
For all the latest information on the team, follow AlabamaMBB on Twitter, Instagram and Facer the book. General athletic news can be found @UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook.
