If you love college basketball, you are going to love this story. The Arkansas vs Alabama stats from February 18, 2026, appear to be from a video game. But this was real. It happened in Tuscaloosa. And it was wild.
The 25th-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide hosted the 20th-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks. When the dust settled, after two overtimes and 50 minutes of chaos, the scoreboard read Alabama 117, Arkansas 115.
This wasn’t just a game. It was a fight. A battle of freshmen. A night where records fell like dominoes. Let’s break down the Arkansas vs Alabama box score 2026 and see how we got here. We will keep it simple, because this game was complicated enough already.
📋 SCORE SUMMARY · 2OT THRILLER
| Team | 1st Half | 2nd Half | 1st OT | 2nd OT | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas (19-7, 9-4 SEC) | 57 | 38 | 10 | 10 | 115 |
| Alabama (19-7, 9-4 SEC) | 47 | 48 | 10 | 12 | 117 |
ARKANSAS advanced
ALABAMA advanced
🔥 ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS – PLAYER STATS
| Player | Min | FG | 3P | FT | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | PF | STL | TO | BLK | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darius Acuff Jr. | 50 | 16-27 | 6-11 | 11-12 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 49 |
| Meleek Thomas | 37 | 8-13 | 6-8 | 2-2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 24 |
| Billy Richmond III | 34 | 10-19 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Trevon Brazile | 47 | 5-13 | 0-4 | 1-2 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 11 |
| D.J. Wagner | 35 | 3-8 | 1-4 | 1-2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 |
| Nick Pringle | 23 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Malique Ewin | 20 | 0-4 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Jaden Karuletwa | 3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Elmir Dzafic | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TEAM TOTALS | 250 | 43-87 | 13-27 | 16-19 | 13 | 21 | 34 | 15 | 26 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 115 |
🐘 ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE – PLAYER STATS
| Player | Min | FG | 3P | FT | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | PF | STL | TO | BLK | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labaron Philon Jr. | 41 | 11-21 | 3-8 | 10-13 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 35 |
| Aiden Sherrell | 39 | 10-13 | 0-0 | 6-7 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 26 |
| Amari Allen | 45 | 6-14 | 2-8 | 5-6 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 19 |
| Aden Holloway | 26 | 5-5 | 1-1 | 4-4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 15 |
| London Jemison | 16 | 4-5 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 |
| Latrell Wrightsell Jr. | 40 | 2-7 | 1-5 | 2-4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| Houston Mallette | 28 | 2-3 | 2-3 | 0-0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Taylor Bowen | 10 | 0-3 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Noah Williamson | 4 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalil Bethea | 2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| TEAM TOTALS | 251 | 40-71 | 10-29 | 27-34 | 11 | 29 | 40 | 16 | 17 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 117 |
ARK shooting
ALA shooting
⏱️ game notes
• Acuff 49 pts (most by Arkansas freshman, most in SEC play) [citation:1][citation:4] • Philon 35 / Sherrell 26 & 13 [citation:7][citation:8] • Mallette game-winning 3 with 51″ left in 2OT [citation:3][citation:6].
First Half: The Darius Acuff Show
The game started, and Arkansas punched first. Actually, they didn’t just punch. They swung a sledgehammer.
Darius Acuff Jr. , a freshman guard for the Razorbacks, went absolutely nuclear. He wasn’t just shooting; he was surgical. By halftime, the Arkansas Razorbacks vs Alabama Crimson Tide stats showed a 57-47 lead for the visitors. That is a ten-point gap at the break, which feels huge in a game like this .
How did they do it? Efficiency. Arkansas was scoring 1.629 points per possession. In basketball terms, anything above 1.25 is great. 1.629 is “stop-the-game-and-study-this” territory . Acuff and his backcourt mate, Meleek Thomas, combined for 38 points in the first half alone. They hit 8 of 10 from three-point range . They were making shots with their hands in their faces. They were making shots from the logo.
If you were checking the Arkansas vs Alabama live score at halftime, you probably thought Alabama was in trouble.
Second Half: The Tide Turns
Coming out of the locker room, Arkansas did not slow down. They pushed the lead to 14 points. Twice. It looked like the Razorbacks were going to cruise .
But Alabama has a weird habit of not dying. They are like horror movie villains. You think they are finished, and they pop right back up.
Labaron Philon Jr., Alabama’s own superstar freshman, decided he wasn’t going to lose at home. He scored 15 points in about seven minutes. He made layups. He made free throws. He hit a massive three-pointer to give Alabama its first lead of the second half with about eight minutes left .
The Alabama vs Arkansas team stats tell the story here. In the second half, Alabama shot 76% from the field. That is insane efficiency. They made 16 of 21 shots . You can’t defend that. You can only hope they miss, and they wouldn’t miss.
The Final Seconds of Regulation
Let’s talk about pressure.
With 12 seconds left in regulation, Alabama was up by three. The game looked over. The fans were getting ready to go home. But remember that name: Darius Acuff.
Acuff took the ball. He dribbled. He rose up. And he drilled a three-pointer with a hand in his face. Swish. Tie game. 95-95 .
Coleman Coliseum went silent. The shot sent the game to overtime, and honestly, it felt like Arkansas had stolen all the momentum.
Over time: Survival of the Fittest
If regulation was a sprint, overtime was a street fight.
In the first overtime, Arkansas ran into a wall. Not a brick wall—a foul wall. Billy Richmond III, Nick Pringle, Meleek Thomas, and DJ Wagner all fouled out . Think about that. Four players are gone. Sitting on the bench. Watching.
Arkansas coach John Calipari was down to three regular players. He had to put in guys who usually sit on the end of the bench. Walk-ons. Players who had combined for 36 minutes all season were now guarding Alabama stars in overtime .
The Arkansas vs Alabama player stats get crazy here. Despite the fouls, despite the exhaustion, Arkansas fought. They traded buckets with Alabama.
Then came the hero.
Houston Mallette for Alabama had scored zero points in regulation. Zero. But when the lights were brightest, he didn’t flinch. He hit a three in the first OT. Then, with 51 seconds left in double overtime, he spotted up in the corner. Wide open. He caught the pass. He shot it. Nothing but net .
That shot put Alabama up four. It was the dagger.
The Final Play
Arkansas had one last chance. Acuff drove the lane. His floater bounced off the backboard. The ball hung in the air for what felt like a minute. It missed.
Malique Ewin was right there for the rebound. He jumped. He had a clean look at a putback dunk to tie the game. He slammed it off the back iron. Missed. Game over .
Alabama won 117-115. The Alabama vs Arkansas final score today will go down as one of the best games in SEC history.
The Stars: Breaking Down the Box Score
Let’s look at the Arkansas vs Alabama box score from 2026 and see who did what.
Arkansas Razorbacks
- Darius Acuff Jr.: 49 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists. He played all 50 minutes. He was on a minute restriction earlier in the week because of a foot injury. He wore a boot on Tuesday. On Wednesday, he scored 49 points. That is toughness .
- Meleek Thomas: 24 points before fouling out .
- Billy Richmond III: 20 points before fouling out .
Acuff’s 49 points are the second-most in a game by any player in the country this season. It is the most points ever scored by an Arkansas freshman. It is the most points an Arkansas player has ever scored in an SEC game .
Alabama Crimson Tide
- Labaron Philon Jr.: 35 points (career high) .
- Aiden Sherrell: 26 points and 13 rebounds (career high) .
- Amari Allen: 19 points and 11 rebounds .
For the first time in over a year, two Alabama players recorded double-doubles in the same game .
Key Stats That Tell the Story
Sometimes the Alabama vs Arkansas team stats show you things the eyes miss.
- Bench Points: Alabama’s bench outscored Arkansas’s bench heavily. Arkansas had no bench. They played seven guys. Four fouled out. At the end, they had walk-ons trying to guard five-star recruits .
- Points in the Paint: Alabama scored 58 points in the paint. That is relentless .
- Second Half Shooting: Alabama shot 76% in the second half. That is the best they have shot all season .
- Fouls: Arkansas committed 26 fouls. Alabama committed 17 .
If you are looking for the Arkansas vs Alabama game recap, the simplest way to put it is this: Arkansas had the best player on the floor. Alabama had more players on the floor.
Why This Game Matters
This game wasn’t just about the Arkansas vs Alabama results. It was about what comes next.
With this win, Alabama moved into a three-way tie for second place in the SEC. Arkansas dropped into that same tie. Both teams are 19-7 overall and 9-4 in the conference .
The Arkansas vs Alabama game summary will be played on highlight reels for years. It showed the heart of two teams that could make deep runs in March. Arkansas proved they can hang with anyone, even when injured. Alabama proved they can get punched in the mouth and keep swinging.
The Human Element: Playing Through Pain
Sometimes stats don’t matter. Sometimes the story is the person.
Darius Acuff was in a walking boot two days before this game. Coach Calipari asked if he was going to play. Acuff looked at him like he was crazy. “He said, ‘Are you nuts?'” Calipari recalled .
That is the spirit of sports. Acuff could have sat out. He could have rested. Instead, he played 50 minutes and dropped 49 points. He left everything on the floor. He missed the last shot, but he gave his team a chance to win.
That is the real takeaway from the Arkansas vs Alabama stats. Numbers fade. Effort doesn’t.
Social Media Meltdown
When the game ended, social media exploded. Fans called it the game of the year. Analysts praised the freshmen. Some joked that the defenses took the night off.
One fan tweeted that the score looked like a football game. Another pointed out that 117 points is the second-most Alabama has ever scored in a game . The only time they scored more was in 1971 .
The Arkansas vs Alabama highlights were everywhere. Acuff’s game-tying shot. Mallette’s corner dagger. The missed dunk at the buzzer. It was a drama from start to finish.
Conclusion: A Night to Remember
So, what did we learn from this? We learned that freshmen are fearless. We learned that games are never over until the buzzer sounds. And we learned that the Arkansas vs Alabama stats from February 18, 2026, belong in a time capsule.
If you missed the Arkansas vs Alabama live score, you missed a classic. But don’t worry. March Madness is right around the corner. And if this game was any preview, we are in for a wild ride.
The Razorbacks head home to face Missouri. The Crimson Tide travels to LSU. Both teams have bigger goals. But for one night, they gave us 50 minutes of perfection.
Final Score: Alabama 117, Arkansas 115 (2OT). Never forget it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What was the final score of the Arkansas vs Alabama game in February 2026?
A1: The Alabama vs Arkansas final score today was 117-115 in double overtime. Alabama won the thriller at Coleman Coliseum .
Q2: Who scored 49 points in the Arkansas vs Alabama game?
A2: Arkansas freshman Darius Acuff Jr. scored 49 points. It is the most points ever scored by an Arkansas player in an SEC game and the second-most in the nation this season .
Q3: How did Alabama win despite trailing by 14 points?
A3: Alabama shot 76% from the field in the second half. Labaron Philon Jr. scored 35 points, and Houston Mallette hit the game-winning three in double overtime. The Arkansas vs Alabama stats show Alabama used their depth as Arkansas players fouled out .
Q4: What are the updated records for Arkansas and Alabama after this game?
A4: Both teams are now 19-7 overall and 9-4 in the SEC. They are tied for second place in the conference with Tennessee .
Q5: Where can I find the full Arkansas vs Alabama box score for 2026?
A5: The full Arkansas vs Alabama box score 2026 is available on major sports sites like CBS Sports, ESPN, and the official Alabama Athletics website. You can find detailed player stats, including minutes played, rebounds, and assists .
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