2021 NCAA Tournament: Arkansas advances to Elite Eight with 72-70 win over Oral Roberts

The Arkansas Razorbacks have made their first Elite Eight since 1995.

The Hogs advanced to the Regional Final with their 72-70 win over Oral Roberts Saturday night. With the win, Arkansas is now one win away from the Final Four, somewhere they haven’t been since 1995 either.

Arkansas had to overcome a lot in this game. They faced a deficit as large as 12 points, this coming at the 15:26 mark of the first half. They refused to relent however and continued to chip and chip and chip away at the lead. It wasn’t until the 6:58 mark of the second half that Arkansas was able to tie the game. From there, Oral Roberts only held a lead as large as two, as the Razorbacks stormed forward and picked up the lead.

With the game tied at 70, Devo Davis knocked down a jumper with three seconds left to prop Arkansas ahead. Oral Roberts got a good look on the other end, but the shot didn’t fall. And consequentially, ORU’s run was over while the Razorbacks’ run may have only just kicked into overdrive.

Four Arkansas players got into double figures in the win. Jalen Tate led the way with a team-high 22 points, shooting 9-for-17 from the floor in the process. Devo Davis scored 16 points with eight rebounds, while Moses Moody and Justin Smith had 14 and 12. Smith had 14 rebounds to give himself a double-double, a strong showing indeed for the senior in a big spot. No other Arkansas player scored more than four points, but the contributions they got were all they needed.

Arkansas will play top-seeded Baylor for a chance to get to the Final Four on Monday night.