National Basketball Association
Arkansas 81, Alabama 66
When: 9:00 PM ET, Wednesday, February 24, 2021
Where: Bud Walton Arena, Fayetteville, Arkansas
Officials:
# Lee Cassell, # Steve Anderson, # Doug Shows
Attendance:
4400
By Field Level Media
Led by Moses Moody's game-high 24 points, No. 20 Arkansas denied No. 6 Alabama a chance to clinch the Southeastern Conference regular-season title on Wednesday night, emerging with an 81-66 victory in Fayetteville, Ark.
Moody, who also had five rebounds and four assists, was one of five players to score in double figures for the Razorbacks (18-5, 10-4 SEC), who won their fifth consecutive game.
The Razorbacks also improved to 14-1 at home this season. Alabama (18-6, 13-2) was trying to win its first SEC regular-season crown since the 2001-02 season.
Arkansas avenged a 90-59 defeat in Tuscaloosa on Jan. 16 by holding the Crimson Tide to 26-for-69 shooting (37.7 percent). Alabama, which came in averaging 80.9 points per game, had its three-game winning streak snapped.
For the second game in a row, Alabama struggled with its accuracy from 3-point range despite making double-digit triples. The Tide, a 36 percent 3-point shooting team, made only 11 of 33 3-point attempts just four days after shooting 10 of 39 on treys against Vanderbilt.
Alabama's Jordan Bruner hit 4 of 9 from long range, with all of the makes coming in the final 2:52 of the first half. He finished with a team-high 14 points to go with six rebounds.
In a game in which 50 fouls were called, Alabama was whistled for 32 of them, allowing Arkansas to go 27-for-43 from the line. Moody went 16 of 19 on free throws. The Crimson Tide only shot eight free throws, making three.
Alabama's Herbert Jones was called for charging three times and fouled out with 4:18 left in the game after scoring only four points. A frustrated John Petty Jr. was later ejected along with Arkansas' Jalen Tate with 1:01 left. Petty finished with 12 points.
After Arkansas trailed 45-39 less than two minutes into the second half, Jaylin Williams (13 points, eight rebounds) and Justin Smith (11 points, 12 rebounds) keyed a 17-2 run that helped the Razorbacks take control.
JD Notae finished with 12 points off the bench for the Razorbacks, and Jahvon Quinerly finished with 13 points, four assists and three rebounds off the bench for Alabama.
--Field Level Media
Top Game Performances
Alabama |
|
Arkansas |
Jordan Bruner 14 |
Scoring |
Moses Moody 24 |
Herbert Jones 4 |
Assists |
Moses Moody 4 |
Juwan Gary 9 |
Rebounds |
Justin Smith 12 |
John Petty Jr. 2 |
Free Throws Made |
Moses Moody 16 |
John Petty Jr. 2 |
Steals |
JD Notae 2 |
Juwan Gary 2 |
Blocks |
Jalen Tate 4 |
Team Stats Summary
Team |
Points |
FG% |
3PM-3PA |
FTM-FTA |
Assists |
Rebounds |
Blocks |
Steals |
Turnovers |
Alabama
|
66 |
37.7 |
11-33 |
3-8 |
14 |
35 |
3 |
4 |
16 |
Arkansas
|
81 |
46.3 |
4-14 |
27-43 |
15 |
37 |
11 |
4 |
13 |