NASHVILLE, Tenn. — When Vanderbilt roared out to a 25-4 lead over Arkansas back on Feb. 7 in a Commodores win at Bud Walton Arena, it was beginning to look like the Razorbacks’ NCAA Tournament hopes were all but gone.
That poor start led to a third loss in four games for Arkansas, which fell to 17-7 at the time. With no quality wins to point toward, fans were grumbling that the Razorbacks were about to miss out on the NCAA Tournament for the eighth time in nine season.
In an ironic twist, Arkansas opened the first half on a 9-0 run and the second half on a 28-6 run to eliminate Vanderbilt in their hometown Saturday with a 76-62 win at the SEC Tournament.