Arkansas Basketball Secures SEC Win in Dramatic Fashion

FAYETTEVILLE — It took Arkansas basketball six tries to win an SEC game in John Calipari’s first season with the program. However, in year two, Calipari and his Hogs are off to a strong start after just one game of conference play.

The No. 18 Razorbacks (11-3, 1-0) defeated the No. 20 Tennessee (10-4, 0-1) on Saturday, Jan. 3, in a thrilling contest that saw Arkansas outscore the Vols by nine points in the final 3:49 to secure an 86-75 victory. Darius Acuff Jr. led all scorers with a career-high 29 points in the first SEC game of his career.

Tennessee started the game with a 7-0 run, but Arkansas quickly responded and led for the majority of the first half. The freshmen backcourt of Acuff and Meleek Thomas combined for 22 points, while Tennessee stayed within striking distance thanks to its interior offense and an up-tempo approach after Arkansas missed. The Razorbacks held a 37-36 advantage at the intermission.

Neither team led by more than five points through the first 10 minutes of the second half. Tennessee continued to pound it inside with success, getting Nick Pringle and Billy Richmond III into foul trouble. Still, the Arkansas freshmen continued to make tough shots and power the Razorbacks’ offense.

For a moment, it looked as if Arkansas was going to run away in the late stages. An 11-0 run gave the Razorbacks a 66-58 lead with six minutes remaining, but Tennessee punched back. Ja’Kobi Gillespie made a 3-pointer, and the Vols mixed in some stops to trim the deficit to 68-66.

But Arkansas finally made some 3-pointers in the closing minutes to put the game to bed. The Razorbacks shot 7 of 23 from long range, but Karter Knox made a shot-clock beating heave before an off-the-dribble conversion from Darius Acuff stretched the lead to 11 with 2:09 on the clock.

Thomas had 18 points for the Hogs, while Malique Ewin scored 12 and grabbed six rebounds. Knox also reached double figures with 11.

Live Updates and Game Highlights

Arkansas basketball vs Tennessee live score updates will be updated throughout the game. Below is a recap of key moments:

Second Half

• Arkansas leads 71-66, 3:37
  
  An 11-0 run from the Razorbacks stretched their advantage to eight, but Tennessee punched back behind Ja’Kobi Gillespie. We’re headed for a tight finish. Darius Acuff Jr. is now up to 24 points and has 14 in the second period. He just made an off-the-dribble 3 to add some cushion to the lead.

• Tennessee leads 58-55, 9:44
  
  Darius Acuff Jr. spent some extra time resting on the ground after a recent foul. Arkansas is expending a ton of energy from some key players like Acuff and Trevon Brazile. Still, the Razorbacks are within striking distance entering the final quarter of the game.

• Tennessee leads 53-51, 11:48
  
  The Vols have played some suffocating defense after halftime. Arkansas is 5 for 15 from the field with three turnovers in the second period. Meleek Thomas has 16 points to lead all scorers.

• Tennessee leads 42-41, 15:54
  
  Tennessee is making a point to feed Nate Ament in the opening minutes of the second half. He’s got three points and is headed to the free-throw line for the second time since the intermission. Arkansas’ offense just doesn’t look in sync right now, and the Hogs are 3 for 13 from 3-point range.

First Half

• HALF: Arkansas 37, Tennessee 36
  
  Darius Acuff Jr. beat the buzzer with a mid-range jumper to give the Hogs a one-point lead at intermission. Acuff has 10 and Meleek Thomas has 12 as the freshmen are shouldering the load on offense. J.P. Estrella leads the Vols with seven points. Arkansas is doing a great job guarding Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Nate Ament, but the Tennessee bigs are having plenty of success on the inside.

• Arkansas leads 29-24, 4:27
  
  The under-eight timeout comes just before the four-minute mark. Arkansas players looked gassed and desperate for a stoppage, which is a sign of terrific effort. Meleek Thomas is getting hot and now leads the Hogs with 10 points, while Trevon Brazile has five points and five rebounds.

• Arkansas and Tennessee tied 13-13, 11:55
  
  Both defenses settled in over the last four minutes. Tennessee is looking to run at every chance and the Vols already have nine fastbreak points. Arkansas’ defense has to adjust as I doubt Calipari was expecting this kind of pace.

• Arkansas and Tennessee tied 9-9, 15:20
  
  The Vols led 7-0 before an early timeout by John Calipari. Darius Acuff Jr. came out of the pause and scored seven points before a put-back jam from Trevon Brazile tied the score. In a slight surprise, it looks like Tennessee is trying to run after every change of possession. The Vols aren’t typically an up-tempo team.

Pregame Information

• No changes to Arkansas starting lineup
  
  Darius Acuff Jr., D.J. Wagner, Karter Knox, Trevon Brazile and Nick Pringle will get the starting nods for the SEC opener. It’ll be interesting to see who opens the game guarding Nate Ament.

• What time does Arkansas vs Tennessee start?

• Date: Saturday, Jan. 3
• Time: 2 p.m. CT

• Where: Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville

• What TV channel is Arkansas vs Tennessee on today?

• TV Channel: ESPN2
• Livestream: Fubo (free trial), ESPN+
• How to watch online: Fubo (Free trial), ESPN+ (here’s how to stream it live)

Prediction and Odds

Tennessee punked Arkansas in last year’s SEC opener. It was one of the low points of Calipari’s first year, but the second conference slate under the Hall of Fame coach will begin with a much more encouraging result. Home-court advantage will play a role and Darius Acuff Jr. will continue his sizzling shooting as Arkansas earns another top-25 win.

• Prediction: Arkansas 79, Tennessee 72

• Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Friday afternoon:

• Spread: Arkansas -1.5
• Over/under: 153.5
• Moneyline: Arkansas -120, Tennessee +100

Arkansas Basketball Schedule 2025-26

Below are the next five games of Arkansas’ 2025-26 basketball season. For the full schedule, click here.