Tuesday’s college basketball game between No. 14 Michigan (8-2) and Arkansas (8-2) felt like an NCAA Tournament game being played in December.
It was a game that encapsulated basketball’s reputation as a game of runs. Michigan held a 15-point lead with six minutes to play in the first half, but the Razorbacks managed to cut the Michigan advantage down to four at halftime.
In the second half, it was Arkansas that got hot. A barrage of three-point baskets helped Arkansas build an 18-point cushion with 10 minutes to play.
But the feisty Wolverines clawed their way back into the contest, and at the final media timeout, they only trailed by six. With 31 seconds to go, Michigan was only down by one, 88-87, and possessed by basketball.
What happened next was an incredibly clutch sequence from Arkansas forward Trevon Brazile. After missing two free-throw attempts on Arkansas’ previous possession, Brazile made perhaps the most important play of the night, blocking Vladislav Goldin’s layup with 15 seconds to go, securing the rebound and drawing a foul.
Brazile hit one of his two ensuing free throws, and with 3.7 seconds to go, Michigan had the ball and a chance to win the game or push it into overtime.
On a night when offense reigned supreme, Arkansas’ defense came up clutch when it mattered most. The Razorbacks knocked the ball away, forcing Roddy Gayle Jr. to take a low-percentage jumper at the buzzer.
When the dust settled inside Madison Square Garden, it was Arkansas walking away with an incredibly hard-fought victory that will likely put it back inside the AP Top 25, assuming a Razorback victory over Central Arkansas on Saturday.
New York native Boogie Fland led Arkansas with 20 points, with D.J. Wagner, (16 points) Brazile, (15 points) Adou Thiero (13 points) and Jonas Aidoo (11 points) all reaching double figures. Michigan was led by 17 points from Goldin, as well as 14 from forward Danny Wolf.
Arkansas will play Central Arkansas in Little Rock on Saturday afternoon, while Michigan will have eight days of rest before facing No. 13 Oklahoma on Dec. 18.
