No. 3 Alabama defeats Arkansas 85-81, ties for SEC lead

No. 3 Alabama secured an 85-81 victory over Arkansas, bolstering its position in the Southeastern Conference standings and placing itself in contention for the No. 1 ranking following losses by both No. 1 Auburn and No. 2 Duke. Grant Nelson and Chris Youngblood led Alabama with 15 points each, while Mouhamed Dioubate added 14, helping the Crimson Tide improve to 20-3 overall and 9-1 in the SEC. Despite leading by as much as 18 points in the second half, Alabama faced a late surge from Arkansas, who cut the deficit to just two points in the final minute. Zvonimir Ivisic stood out for the Razorbacks, scoring a career-high 27 points. The win marked Alabama's sixth straight victory, and they will next face Texas before a highly anticipated matchup against Auburn. Alabama's shooting efficiency was a key factor in the win, as they shot 55% from the field compared to Arkansas's 43%.