FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Alabama found a way to hold off Arkansas and get a Southeastern Conference road win.
The 23rd-ranked Crimson Tide (13-3, 2-1) fought back from a nine-point first-half deficit and then held off a late charge by the Razorbacks for a 64-61 victory on Tuesday night.
"We found a way to execute down the stretch. We were able to put the ball in the hoop consistently," said guard Earnest Shelton, who led Alabama with 18 points. "This win is big for us because we had to find a way to win on the road, and we did tonight."
A 13-4 run gave Arkansas (13-3, 1-2) a 33-24 lead with 4:31 left in the first half. But the Crimson Tide held the Razorbacks scoreless for the rest of the half and Shelton had half the points in a 10-0 run that gave Alabama a 34-33 lead.
"I thought we hurried ourselves too much" during that stretch, Arkansas coach Stan Heath said. "We didn't rebound or reposition ourselves for a good shot."
Ronnie Brewer had 15 points for Arkansas, which got within 63-61 with 1:02 left. But Kennedy Winston, who scored nine of his 13 in the second half, made one of two free throws with 9.8 seconds left to give the Crimson Tide a three-point lead. Eric Ferguson missed an open 3-pointer with two seconds left that could have tied the game.
"There are a lot of broken hearts in the locker room right now," Heath said. "We played hard, but we didn't make the best decisions. We've got to learn and be ready."
Chuck Davis had 17 points and nine rebounds for Alabama, which finished with a 32-25 advantage on the boards.
Darian Townes added 14 points for the Razorbacks, while Jonathan Modica had 11 points and five assists and Olu Famutini added 10 points, eight in the first half.
