Arkansas 71, South Carolina 64: Michael Qualls poured in 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds as the host Razorbacks held off the Gamecocks for their fourth win in five games.
Coty Clarke added 12 points and 12 rebounds for Arkansas (17-9, 6-7 SEC), which improved to 14-2 at home. Bobby Portis scored only nine points but blocked five shots as the Razorbacks survived despite shooting 37.9 percent from the field.
Brenton Williams hit six 3-pointers en route to 29 points for South Carolina (10-16, 3-10), which was trying to win three straight in conference play for the first time since 2009. Duane Notice scored nine points as the Gamecocks fell to 0-10 on the road.
Qualls hit a 3-pointer with less than five minutes left to break a tie and set off a 7-0 spurt that put the Razorbacks ahead for good. South Carolina still had a chance to tie in the final 10 seconds, but Williams lost the ball out of bounds with eight seconds left and Rashad Madden knocked down a pair of free throws to seal it.
Williams put the Gamecocks ahead 21-20 with a steal and a layup with just under nine minutes left in the first half, but Arkansas responded with a 20-2 run to take control and led 40-29 at the break. South Carolina scored the first nine points of the second half to get within two and Williams kept them in it the rest of the way.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Madden, who entered the game averaging 16.3 points in conference play, and South Carolina G Sindarius Thornwell, who came in averaging 17.3 in SEC games, were held scoreless in the first half. Madden finished with three points on 0-for-8 shooting while Thornwell was 2-for-12 for eight points. … The Gamecocks dropped to 3-15 when allowing 70 or more points, including 0-10 in SEC play. … Williams was 11-for-20 from the field while the rest of South Carolina's team combined to go 11-for-39.
South Carolina | Arkansas | |
Brenton Williams 29 | Scoring | Michael Qualls 20 |
Sindarius Thornwell 5 | Assists | Coty Clarke 4 |
Mindaugas Kacinas 7 | Rebounds | Coty Clarke 12 |
Duane Notice 7 | Free Throws Made | Coty Clarke 6 |
Demetrius Henry 2 | Steals | Coty Clarke 4 |
Mindaugas Kacinas 1 | Blocks | Bobby Portis 5 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
South Carolina | 64 | 37.3 | 8-19 | 12-15 | 11 | 34 | 2 | 6 | 19 |
Arkansas | 71 | 37.9 | 8-25 | 19-28 | 14 | 38 | 7 | 13 | 17 |