No. 3 Arkansas Survives Against No. 15 Oral Roberts to Advance to Elite Eight
And then the clock struck midnight.
The Arkansas Razorbacks played spoiler to the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles' Cinderella run with a 72-70 victory in Saturday's Sweet 16 game of the 2021 NCAA men's basketball tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Jalen Tate, Moses Moody, Justin Smith and Davonte Davis, who made the game-winning shot with 3.1 seconds remaining, led the way for the No. 3 seed in the South Region, helping the Razorbacks advance to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1995.
An impressive showing from Max Abmas was not enough for the 15th-seeded Golden Eagles, who have not made the Elite Eight since 1974. While Abmas was largely brilliant, his final three-pointer that would have won it just missed.
Notable Player Stats
- Jalen Tate, G, ARK: 22 PTS, 6 AST, 4 REB
- Davonte Davis, G, ARK: 16 PTS, 8 REB
- Moses Moody, G, ARK: 14 PTS, 6 REB
- Justin Smith, F, ARK: 12 PTS, 14 REB
- Max Abmas, G, OR: 25 PTS, 4 AST
- Carlos Jurgens, G, OR: 13 PTS, 6 REB
- Kevin Obanor, F, OR: 12 PTS, 11 REB
The Comeback Razorbacks Do It Again
It's not too often a top-three seed is playing a Cinderella in the Sweet 16 that it faced in the regular season, but that was the case for Arkansas.
The Razorbacks handled Oral Roberts by 11 points in December by exploiting their size advantage. They out-rebounded the Golden Eagles by 26 while Smith overwhelmed the opposing frontcourt with 22 points and 17 rebounds.
It was nowhere near the same out of the gates with the win-or-go-home pressure in Saturday's matchup.
Oral Roberts enjoyed the rebounding advantage and held Smith to just four points on the way to a seven-point halftime lead. While Tate did what he could to keep the Razorbacks within striking distance, Moody was 1-of-8 and an Arkansas team that typically thrives on offense had 28 points at intermission.
Yet it was a familiar position for a team that overcame a double-digit deficit in the second half the first time these teams played and has now notched six of its last seven wins after trailing by double digits.
Moody started to find his scoring touch by attacking the basket, Smith and Davis provided key secondary offense, and Tate continued to play well as the Razorbacks came charging back without the help of the three-point shot. Dominance on the boards also helped, and the SEC team finished with 18 offensive rebounds.
That was just enough for the No. 3 seed, who ran a play on its final possession instead of dribbling out the clock and shooting a fadeaway three. The result was a clean look for Davis, who hit the shot and propelled the Razorbacks to the Elite Eight.
Supporting Cast Comes Up Short for Oral Roberts
The formula was straightforward for Oral Roberts in the Big Dance.
Abmas and Kevin Obanor combined for 59 points against Ohio State in the first round and 54 points against Florida in the second round. No other player scored in double figures in either game, which is both a testament to the two scorers and something that probably wouldn't be sustainable for six straight tournament wins.
Someone else had to come through with Arkansas making a pointed effort to slow Abmas and Obanor, and Carlos Jurgens helped stake Oral Roberts to a lead by scoring in double figures before halftime.
It was just a matter of time before the stars got theirs, and floaters in the lane from Abmas and Obanor extended the second-half lead to double digits. A defense that checks in at No. 220 on KenPom.com also deserved plenty of credit for forcing the Razorbacks into poor shots as the Golden Eagles controlled much of the game.
Even when Arkansas made what felt like an inevitable push, Abmas was ready with an answer.
Many of those answers came with him attacking instead of settling for three-pointers and were all the more important because Jurgens went quiet and Obanor struggled to find open looks even though he contributed on the glass.
Still, the Golden Eagles ultimately fell apart when Arkansas started doubling and denying Abmas. Even Obanor was relatively quiet with 12 points, the bench didn't score a single point and Abmas' final heave rimmed out.
What's Next?
The Razorbacks face the top-seeded Baylor Bears in the Elite Eight on Monday.
