OK, bracketologists … it’s our favorite upset pick we love to make — the 5-12 matchup. 12-seed Wofford took on the 5-seed Arkansas tonight at Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville. With a 6-foot-5 average, the Razorbacks had an obvious size advantage, but in the first half it was Wofford’s perimeter shooting that kept the Terriers in the contest. The game was tied at 22 at 3:15 in the first. At the half, Wofford headed into the locker room with a 28-27 lead.
The two teams continued to trade blows halfway through the second with the score 41-40 in Wofford’s favor. After a Bobby Portis floater, Arkansas took the lead 53-51 with 2:12 left in regulation. With Wofford trailing 56-53 on the final possession of the game, the Terriers had a chance to tie with an Eric Garcia 3-pointer that looked good, only to rim out. Wofford hung tough with the Razorbacks all night and had every chance to win but just couldn’t finish as Arkansas escaped with a 56-53 win.
Impact Player
Arkansas sophomore forward Bobby Portis added another double-double to his personal stats finishing with 15 points and 13 rebounds.
Honorable mention: Portis’s teammate Michael Qualls led all scorers with 20 points.
Turning Point
The game was neck and neck the entire contest so the turning point of the game didn’t take place until the waning moments. In the end, it wasn’t so much what Arkansas did right as what Wofford did wrong. The Terriers missed three 3-point attempts in the final minute.
Strange, But True
Arkansas was out rebounded, lost the turnover battle, and was the lesser team from the stripe tonight, all in a winning effort. Goes to show you there is only one true stat in sports.
Up Next
No. 5 Arkansas advances to take on No. 4 North Carolina on Saturday.
Wofford ends its season as the Southern Conference regular season and tournament champ with a 28-7 record.
Dorm Room Hoops 