NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Darius Acuff Jr. had game-high totals of 30 points and 11 assists Sunday as No. 17 Arkansas, the third seed, used a late 12-0 run in the final three-plus minutes to pull away from fourth-seeded No. 22 Vanderbilt and earn an 86-75 victory in the championship game of the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena.
Billy Richmond III added 18 points for the Razorbacks (26-8), who also had Trevon Brazile post 16 points and nine rebounds. D.J. Wagner scored 11 points as well.
Arkansas shot 51.7 percent from the field overall, making 15-of-24 attempts from 3-point range, and was credited with 21 assists on its 30 field goals while turning the ball over only 10 times.
Tyler Nickel and Duke Miles scored 19 points apiece to pace the Commodores (26-8), with the former grabbing nine rebounds and the latter handing out nine assists against one turnover. Tyler Tanner supplied 15 points and five boards also, and Jalen Washington recorded eight points and seven rebounds.
Vandy—which will learn its NCAA Tournament seed and opponent at 5 p.m. CT on CBS’s selection show—made 10 3-point field goals and was 15-of-15 at the foul line but was held to 37.9 percent shooting from the floor.
Although the Razorbacks led throughout most of the first half, including by as many as seven points, there were eight lead changes before the break. Four of those came in the final 74 seconds, with the last on an Acuff 3-pointer giving Arkansas a 41-39 halftime advantage. An early 9-2 run after the break—capped by a Washington jumper—put the Dores up 55-49 while forcing a Razorback timeout. But Arkansas responded with 11 unanswered points for a 60-55 edge.
Vandy would draw within one point on three occasions, and the Commodores tied the contest 66-66 on Nickel’s 3-pointer with just under seven minutes to go but were unable to regain the lead.
