Arkansas had a major upset on their minds in the first 20 minutes of Saturday’s game against No. 2 Alabama.
Unfortunately, a familiar story played out after Arkansas built an 11-point first half lead. Alabama would come out of halftime and quickly shift the momentum with a 19-9 scoring run to take a 47-46 lead. The Razorbacks would let the Crimson Tide lead balloon to 12 points with 3:08 left to play. Despite a valiant effort over those final three minutes to cut the lead down to as little as two, Arkansas would fall short of the upset, losing 86-83.
[autotag]Nick Smith Jr.[/autotag], [autotag]Ricky Council[/autotag] and [autotag]Devo Davis[/autotag] each had incredible performances. They combined for 65 points (5-8 3PT), 12 rebounds and four steals.
Although the trio of Smith, Council and Davis shined individually, it was a struggle for everyone else. Little things like missed free throws, paint points and interior defense were the difference in the Razorbacks leaving Tuscaloosa with a win instead of a tough loss.
Let’s go beyond the box score and take a closer look as some important takeaways from Arkansas’ failed upset bid against No. 2 Alabama.