Arkansas probably punched its ticket to March Madness on Wednesday, but it was far from convincing.
After leading by as many as 20 early in the second half, the Razorbacks let South Carolina claw back into it before desperately hanging on for a 72-68 win in the first round of the SEC Tournament at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.
Widely believed to be in the field regardless of what happened in its rematch with the Gamecocks, Arkansas erased any doubt and likely clinched a spot in the Round of 64 — avoiding the First Four in Dayton, Ohio — by picking up its 20th win of the season.