The Arkansas Razorbacks (20-12, 8-10 SEC) escaped the first round of the SEC Tournament with a 72-68 win over South Carolina on Wednesday, and advance to face the Ole Miss Rebels (21-10, 10-8 SEC) on Thursday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.
The Hogs got up big on the Gamecocks and led by as many as 20 points in the second half, but a nearly 12-minute stretch without a made field goal allowed South Carolina to claw back and cut the deficit to just one, 61-60, with 3:55 minutes left.
A three-pointer from D.J. Wagner with 2:37 minutes left in regulation woke the Razorbacks offense up enough, and though South Carolina stayed close until the buzzer sounded, Arkansas finished the game on top.
Now, the Hogs are tasked with once again playing a team they played earlier this season. The Rebels downed the Razorbacks 73-66 at Bud Walton Arena on Jan. 8. It was the second of five straight losses to start Southeastern Conference play for Arkansas.
Head coach John Calipari said Wednesday the Arkansas team that faced Ole Miss back then is not the same one playing now, mostly due to injuries reshaping how his team looks.
"Well, my team is different," Calipari said. "I got totally a different team. (Ole Miss has) played well all year. Chris has done a fabulous job. It will be a hard game for us. It was a long time ago. It was the second game of the year."
Arkansas will, as it has been the last five games, be without the services of junior forward Adou Thiero and freshman point guard Boogie Fland. Calipari said neither will play in the SEC Tournament, but could return for the NCAA Tournament, depending on how far they advance.
Below are details on how to watch, BetSaracen betting lines, links to stream and links to all of our coverage leading up to the game...
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How to Watch/Listen
Who: Arkansas Razorbacks (20-12, 8-10 SEC) vs. Ole Miss Rebels (21-10, 10-8 SEC)
When: Thursday, March 13 at noon CT
Where: Bridgestone Arena — Nashville, Tennessee
TV/Stream: SEC Network / WatchESPN (Dan Shulman, Jay Bilas and Jess Sims)
Radio: Learfield Razorback Sports Network (Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman)
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BetSaracen Odds
Below are details on the betting odds for the game and Double R Prop bets. To get in on the action, visit BetSaracen.com and click on the Arkansas Specials tab.
(Lines and odds are subject to change at any point after the publishing of this story. HawgBeat does not guarantee any bet as a winner or loser. You must be at least 21 years of age to use BetSaracen. If you have a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit 1800gambler.net)
*All odds accurate as of the publishing of this story. They are subject to change.*
Moneyline/Spread
- Arkansas: +145, +3.5 (-110)
- Ole Miss: -170, -3.5 (-110)
- O/U: 144.5 (-110/-110)
