(9) Arkansas 72, (16) South Carolina 68
Keys to the Win: Jonas Aidoo paced Arkansas in the first half, but playmaking in the clutch proved immeasurable for the Razorbacks. As the Hogs had around eight minutes without a basket from the field, DJ Wagner hit a three to give Arkansas a 64-60 cushion before Johnell Davis made six free throws in the last 18 seconds to pace the Hogs to the 72-68 win.
Player of the Game: Jonas Aidoo was in a major rhythm as he made 6 of 7 shots in that first half as he made a three and capitalized in the lane to finish with 14 points. Trevon Brazile had a key tap-in to give the Razorbacks a 66-62 lead with 1:38 to play
Key Statistics: Arkansas was 1-of-11 from the floor with two turnovers for a seven minutes stretch in the second half while South Carolina was 6-of-16 in that same period. The ‘Cocks were 0-of-2 with two turnovers in their last four possessions where they could have cut shortened the deficit.
They Said It: “But I just thought we got tentative and was trying to get out of the gym,” said Arkansas head coach John Calipari. “You can’t play that way. We have a bunch of guys that compete and did what they had to to win the game, so I’m happy.”
(13) Texas 79, (12) Vanderbilt 72
Keys to the Win: Texas hit a 12-0 run early in the first half as Kadin Shedrick closed with a hook and a slam for a 15-7 lead with 11:41 remaining. Tre Johnson and Tramon Mark finished with 19 points apiece as Vanderbilt had a tough time keeping either player in check off-the-dribble.
Key Statistics: Texas held Vanderbilt to 1-of-5 from the floor and the Commodores committed three turnovers in a stretch that saw the Longhorns take a 39-22 lead with 1:09 remaining. Arthur Kaluma had a blow-by off the left side in that run to finish with a slam dunk and a 35-22 Longhorns advantage.
Player of the Game: Tre Johnson and Tramon Mark were a tough matchup all afternoon for Vandy. Both players hit the three and broke the Commodores down off the dribble. Jordan Pope used the dribble-drive proficiently as he finished with 14 points while Mark and Johnson shared 19 each.
They said it: “I think I’ve been saying this for the last week and a half or so,” said coach Rodney Terry. “You got to get lost in the moment right now. It’s about every possession right now.”
(10) Mississippi State 91, (15) LSU 62 –
Keys to the Win: LSU showed signs of trying to make this a game at the outset of the second half when Robert Miller cut the Bulldogs lead to 51-40 with his slam dunk, but Shawn Jones led Mississippi State on a 17-0 run that saw Rylee Kugel hit a three from the top of the keyu for a 68-40 lead with 10:52 remaining.
Key Stats: The Bulldogs were 15-of-34 from three while outscoring LSU, 38-2, off the bench.
Player of the Game: Josh Hubbard was once again incredible as he led with 26 points and went 9-of-19 from the floor and 6-of-12 from three. He finished the first half with an NBA-three as the Bulldogs led 44-24 at the break.
They said it: “We did a lot of defensive stuff, drills we hadn’t done for months, to try to get everybody just mentally focused and understanding that if we’re going to win games here, it has to start on that end of the floor,: said Bulldogs coach Chris Jans.
(14) Oklahoma 81, (11) Georgia 75
Keys to the Win: Oklahoma trailed 64-58 with 8:26 to play and then went on a 16-0 run as Jeremiah Fears scored the first eight points of the run which ended with an underhand scoop layup by Kobe Elvis. Oklahoma then led 74-64 and were able to dictate the game the rest of the way. The Sooners were 6-of-8 from the floor while holding Georgia to 0-of-3 with three turnovers.
Key Stats: The three-point line was a main interest in the game as Oklahoma finished 12-of-25 and Georgia was 10-of-28. Fears led OU with four while Silas Demary, Jr., led UGa with five.
Player of the Game: Jeremiah Fears destroyed Georgia’s defense from his guard position where he scored 29 points. He scored 11 out of 14 Oklahoma points when it seened like the Sooners had control with a 32-26 lead late in the first half. His scoring in the decisive 16-0 run (above) was also a major factor in to nights game.
They Said It: “Our faith in God; put you in tough situations and believing things,,” said coach Porter Moser. “Every day, we came in and talked about fighting through hard and believing and staying together and these guys have been resilient.”