Arkansas Outlasts Winthrop in High Drama Finish Marked by Clutch Shots and a Mid Court Scrum

Arkansas football cannot seem to catch a break this season. Close games keep slipping away, and opportunities that should have gone their way have turned into the same frustrating endings. The basketball team is living in the opposite world. Whether you want to call it timing, poise, or a touch of good fortune, the Hogs keep closing out tight games in ways the football program has not managed.

Tuesday night added another example to that contrast. In a tense, chaotic finish that felt made for a highlight reel, Arkansas basketball (4-1, 0-0 SEC) needed one more escape. It got exactly that. The Hogs edged Winthrop (2-3, 0-0 Big South) for an 84-83 win, sealed by a Meleek Thomas steal that turned into a Nick Pringle transition layup with 11.9 seconds left.

Everything about the closing stretch carried the feel of a team refusing to let the game slip. Arkansas trailed 83-78 with two minutes remaining and needed a final push to stay alive. The Razorbacks leaned on their two man action with Trevon Brazile and Pringle, which produced a clean Pringle finish at the rim. Seconds later, Brazile wiped out a jumper from Daylen Berry, igniting a break that ended with Darius Acuff gliding to the basket for a layup that trimmed the deficit to 83-82 with 37 seconds left.

It was the kind of closing run that turns a regular non conference game into something that lingers well past the final buzzer.

Trading Punches to Start the Night

Winthrop opened the game with the first punch. The Eagles won the tip and Clouet hit a right wing three. Arkansas answered quickly when Knox buried one of his own. Ewin grabbed an offensive rebound to keep the next possession alive, but his putback rolled off the rim.

A travel by Berry gave the Hogs the ball back, and Brazile cleaned up a missed Wagner three with a soft tip in. Duncomb came right back, sprinting the floor for a transition layup to even the score. Acuff knocked down two free throws, only for Berry to respond eight seconds later with a strong finish through the lane. Knox missed a dunk off a sharp feed from Acuff but recovered his own rebound and scored.

Winthrop grabbed early momentum with a pair of offensive rebounds that turned into a 4-0 burst entering the first media timeout. Arkansas countered by bringing in Thomas, Richmond, and Pringle. Thomas immediately made an impact on the glass, extending a possession that led to a Richmond bucket to tie the game.

Boyogueno knocked down an open three after a late closeout from Thomas. Brazile answered at the rim. Pringle swatted Berry’s layup attempt, but on the inbound play Rozier splashed a corner three for a 17-13 Winthrop lead.

Pringle and Meo traded scores before Thomas drilled a jumper to shave the gap to two. Hendawy then hit a straightaway three to push Winthrop ahead 22-17 at the under twelve timeout.

Winthrop’s early efficiency set the tone. The Eagles shot 53 percent in the opening stretch while Arkansas sat at 44 percent. The biggest difference: Winthrop had four made threes, Arkansas was only 1 of 5.

Thomas responded with his second tough runner of the night, though Clouet answered at the other end. Knox sank two free throws to make it a one-possession game. A missed Clouet three turned into two free throws for Thomas, who converted both to pull within one.

Both teams then slogged through a three minute stretch without a field goal until Boyogueno hammered home a putback for a 26-23 Winthrop lead. Thomas again closed the gap with a physical finish through contact.

Arkansas finally ignited with an 11-0 run sparked by a Brazile steal and a windmill dunk that brought the arena to life. Clouet stopped the drought with a three, cutting the Hogs’ lead to 36-31 with 4:13 left, but Acuff immediately answered with a three of his own. Arkansas held a 39-31 lead at the next media break.

Out of the timeout, Meo made two free throws. Acuff nearly connected on another three, but it rattled out. Berry found Clouet for another clean look, and he hit from deep to cut the Arkansas lead to 39-36. Pringle responded by grabbing an offensive rebound and knocking down both free throws.

Rozier banked in a long three to tighten things again. Pringle scored through contact off a feed from Thomas, but Winthrop stayed close and pulled within two at the break after a hook shot from Hendawy.

Arkansas led 43-41 at halftime.

The first half numbers reflected the tightness of the game. The teams were tied 18-18 on the boards and 5-5 on the offensive glass. Winthrop turned it over six times compared to Arkansas with three. Arkansas scored six points off those turnovers while Winthrop had none.

The Hogs shot 14 of 33 (42.4 percent) and 3 of 12 from deep (25 percent). Winthrop went 16 of 35 overall (45.7 percent) and 7 of 16 from three (43.8 percent). Thomas led Arkansas with 13 points, while Brazile added 10.

Arkansas Surges to Open the Second Half

Thomas opened the half by drilling a deep three. Duncomb split at the line, and Pringle hammered home a slam off a feed from Knox. Rozier answered with a tough layup, and Berry followed with a three after a Knox offensive foul.

Brazile drove into the lane for a layup that made it 50-47 and sparked a 9-3 Arkansas run. Ewin capped it with an athletic offensive rebound and putback that stretched the lead to 57-50.

Winthrop responded with a burst of its own that swung the lead back. Arkansas went more than two minutes without a basket until Thomas knocked down a midrange jumper to cut it to 59-57. Rozier answered with a three that pushed Winthrop ahead 60-59 entering the media break.

The next stretch belonged to the free throw line. Thomas and Berry split trips, and Wagner hit two for a 62-61 Arkansas lead. Thomas followed with a big three for a 65-61 margin, but Winthrop immediately countered with a triple.

Thomas scored seven straight until Pringle drew a foul and split at the line. With 6:35 left, Winthrop grabbed control on a five point possession. Berry finished a layup and Thomas was called for a loose ball foul, giving Winthrop another chance. Clouet buried a three for a 71-70 Winthrop lead.

Acuff and Richmond each knocked down two free throws. Berry tied it with a three. Hendawy stripped Thomas and scored in transition, but Knox answered with a layup to even it again. Rozier stepped back for a three that gave Winthrop a 79-76 advantage.

A moment later, after Pringle scored the go ahead layup, tensions exploded. Duncomb wrapped Pringle in a headlock and tried to pull him down. Pringle shoved him off, and officials spent several minutes on review. Double technicals were issued to Pringle and Duncomb. Isaiah Sealy and DJ Wagner were ejected for leaving the bench, as were Winthrop players Edward Nnamoko and Pharell Boyogueno.

On Winthrop’s final possession, Berry launched a heavily contested three over Thomas. It missed, and Arkansas held on for the 84-83 win.

Arkansas shot 29 of 58 (50 percent) and 6 of 17 from three (35.3 percent). Winthrop finished 32 of 67 (47.8 percent) and 15 of 31 from deep (48.4 percent). Arkansas won the boards 33-30, held a 16-9 edge in fast break points, and blocked eight shots to Winthrop’s two.

Calipari Praises the Fight

Calipari said Winthrop deserved full credit after coming in and knocking down 15 threes. He noted that some of those open looks were the result of Arkansas defensive breakdowns. According to him, the team still struggles with communication. Players point instead of talking, and when they claim they did not hear a call, it leads to situations where two defenders chase one player and leave another wide open.

Calipari added that making shots still requires execution. Winthrop hit tough attempts and capitalized on every clean look. What impressed him most was that Arkansas continued to fight until the final seconds. He said the huddles stayed positive and the players kept insisting they were going to finish the game strong.

Thomas delivered a career high performance with 26 points on 10 of 20 shooting (50 percent) and 3 of 8 from deep. Brazile added 14 points on 5 of 6 shooting (83.3 percent) with 4 blocks. For Winthrop, Rozier scored 23 points on 8 of 11 shooting (72.7 percent), while Clouet contributed 16 points on 6 of 9 shooting.

Thomas, who scored a career high, led Arkansas with 26 points on 10 of 20 shooting and 3 of 8 from deep (37.5 percent). Brazile added 14 points on 5 of 6 shooting with four blocks. Rozier led Winthrop with 23 points on 8 of 11 shooting . Clouet added 16 points on 6 of 9 (66.7 percent).

Who Is Next for Razorbacks

Arkansas heads back to Bud Walton Arena on Saturday for the final game of its home stretch, hosting Jackson State, a program on a losing streak and sitting ninth in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 pm, and the game will stream on SECN Plus.