Arkansas vs. Seton Hall: Score and Twitter Reaction from March Madness 2017

The Arkansas Razorbacks and Seton Hall Pirates traded momentum and scoring streaks for much of their round of 64 matchup in Greenville, South Carolina. When the dust settled in one of the most exciting games of the young NCAA tournament, Arkansas had escaped with a 77-71 win.

The game wasn't without controversy, as a late flagrant foul called against Seton Hall played a major role in Arkansas' tight win.

The Razorbacks won't complain. Moses Kingsley was spectacular for the team, finishing with 23 points on 10-of-13 shooting from the field while adding six rebounds and four blocks. He also provided one of the best highlights from the contest, per NCAA March Madness:

Jaylen Barford added 20 points and seven rebounds, while Dusty Hannahs notched 14 points.

Angel Delgado went to battle on the block against Kingsley for Seton Hall, posting 12 points and 13 rebounds (eight offensive). He fueled a strong game on the boards for the Pirates, as the team finished with a whopping 21-8 advantage in offensive rebounds.

Khadeen Carrington, meanwhile, led the way for Seton Hall with 22 points, though his two turnovers in the game's final minute were costly. That wasn't the only late-game gaffe for the Pirates, however, as Desi Rodriguez was called for a flagrant foul with 18 seconds remaining as Seton Hall trailed, 72-71.

Rodriguez made a lot of contact, and officials determined he hadn't made a play on the ball, though it was a game-altering decision by the referees. Seth Davis of CBS Sports saw where the officials were coming from:

Mike Greenberg of ESPN and Bobby Marks of The Vertical disagreed:

Barford made both free throws to give Arkansas a three-point lead, and Daryl Macon followed with one of two free throws to make it a 75-71 contest.

Seton Hall couldn't convert on its next trip down the floor, and Arkansas had wrapped up its win.

Arkansas wanted to play fast in the contest, and Seton Hall often obliged as the two teams kept up a breathless pace at times. That made it a fun watch, if not always the most technically sound basketball, as Sam Vecenie of Sporting News hinted:

For Seton Hall, the loss extended their streak to 13 years without an NCAA tournament win. It's hard to imagine a more heartbreaking close to the season for the Pirates than missing a potential game-winning shot against Villanova in the Big East semifinals, followed by Friday's finale.

Arkansas will sing a different tune, however, as it advances to the round of 32. Awaiting the Razorbacks will almost assuredly be No. 1 seed North Carolina on Sunday, with the Tar Heels in action against Texas Southern later Friday. 

Postgame Reaction

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

"Our guys just found a way," Arkansas head coach Mike Anderson said after the tight contest, per THV11.com. "It was kind of a grinding game, then you had some spurts when one team went up. It was back and forth."

Kingsley spoke about his big performance, meanwhile.

"It's win or go home," he noted, per THV11.com. "I had to bring it, and my team's looking up to me to bring it in games like this."

Of course, much of the talk centered on the controversial flagrant foul. 

"I've never been pushed like that," Barford claimed while talking about Rodriguez's foul, per Dennis Chambers of Basketball Insiders.

"He pushed the guy, you saw it," Anderson added, according to Chambers. "I didn't think the play was a play on the ball."

Seton Hall saw things a bit differently.

"[Barford] definitely dove," Carrington told Zach Braziller of the New York Post.

Rodriguez, meanwhile, was distraught.

"I'm just heartbroken," he told Braziller.

And head coach Kevin Willard wasn't particularly interested in talking about the foul. He took issue with a non-call he noticed in the final moments instead, per Braziller:

"I don't think it's humanly possible for someone to reach behind someone and back-tip a ball," he added, according to Chambers.

But ultimately, the head coach was just disappointed to see his team's excellent effort and commitment this season go unrewarded Friday night.

"I feel for these kids," he told Braziller. "They really bought in."