Darius Acuff Jr. of Arkansas has 49 points, nearly delivering a 2OT victory
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Wearing a protective shield earlier this week, Arkansas star Darius Acuff Jr. he responded bitterly when coach John Calipari asked if he would miss Wednesday night’s game at Alabama.
“He said, ‘You guys got peanuts?'” Calipari recalled.
Not only did he play Acuff, but he stood out. And the freshman guard nearly delivered a dramatic victory in a 117-115 doubleheader loss on a night when the 20th-ranked Razorbacks went down to a seven-man rotation against No. 25 Crimson Tide.
Acuff scored 49 points, the second most in a single game in college basketball this season, and carried Arkansas all night. He made 16 of 27 shots, including 6 of 10 from 3-point range, and added five rebounds and five assists.
He played all 50 minutes for a tired Calipari team, playing a key role after four of his teammates fouled out in overtime. He missed jump shots at the end of each extra frame.
“He’s been in the boot for two days and he’s still doing it,” Calipari said.
Acuff scored the most points by a freshman against a team ranked in the AP Top 25, as well as the most points by an Arkansas freshman and the most points in a Southeastern Conference game by any Razorbacks player. He fell just two points shy of Rotnei Clarke’s program record of 51, which he set in 2009 against Alcorn State.
“We hit the trail, but we fought,” Acuff said. “[My performance] it doesn’t mean anything. We lost. No matter how many I am, we lost. I wish I could make up for the loss.
“It was a good game, man. We beat a few guys. No excuses, but we’re proud of the way we fought.”
Arkansas led by 14 points on two separate occasions but could not hold off Alabama and lost for the first time in four games. It set the stage for an unforgettable performance.
Acuff had the ball in his hands for the final shot. His floater in the lane bounced off the backboard, and Alabama collected the rebound for its fifth straight win. Acuff sent the game into overtime in regulation with a 3-pointer with 12 seconds left. Scored or assisted on 35 of Arkansas’ 58 points in the second half and overtime.
It was the culmination of an impressive expansion. It was his third straight game with at least 25 points, his seventh straight game with at least 20 points and his third game with 30 points in that span. Arkansas is 5-2 over that.
Without the loss, Arkansas (19-7, 9-4 Southeastern Conference) is in a three-way tie for second place in the league. The Razorbacks, Alabama and Tennessee are all two games back of the defending national champion and 12th-ranked Florida.
But with Acuff on a tear, the Razorbacks look set to be a contender come March.
“His body, his ability to make everybody better, his will to win,” Calipari said. “I’ve coached some really good guards over the years, and he’s right up there with them. He’s unique and special and I think everybody saw that today.”
