ATLANTA — It was a wild combination of desire and determination backed with a bit of luck — not an upset.

When the final buzzer sounded, the Arkansas Razorbacks stormed the floor, and the celebration began.

The Razorbacks had knocked off SEC champion Tennessee 92-91 to advance to the tournament championship game for the second consecutive year.

The unlikely hero was Steven Hill, who shoots about as often as Hillary Clinton votes Republican.

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About as often as gas prices drop.

About as often as a dollar wins the Georgia lottery.

Saturday night, with 5. 3 seconds to play, Hill took a desperation pass from Gary Ervin, turned, jumped and shot a high, really high, jumper that was all Arkansas Razorbacks net.

It was the perfect finish to the final eight minutes when the Hogs fought back from nine points down to stun the Vols with only their fourth loss of the season. Depending on how the other conference tournaments turn out today, the loss might have knocked Tennessee out of a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

It all started when Chris Lofton was as the line to shoot the front end of a 1-and-1.

He probably hadn’t missed one of those since he was a young boy dreaming of being a Kentucky Wildcat.

The Volunteers were all out to stay in front of the surging Razorbacks in the second half and led only 64-62 when Lofton went to the line and missed.

The tiny Georgia Tech gym rocked with a Hog call, and then the Hogs turned it over. So did the Vols. Charles Thomas, who had a career night and is playing his best basketball in many long weeks, made two free throws to tie it, but before you could say Smith three times, the Vols were on top 73-64.

Tyler Smith hit a pair of threes that sandwiched a three-point play by Ramar Smith for a ninepoint lead with 8: 56 to play. The Razorbacks of a month ago might have started looking for the exit to their bus. Not on March 15, the night after a tornado forced the SEC Tournament to Georgia Tech. In the midst of a field-goal

1 drought that was 3 / 2 minutes, the Hogs made seven of eight free throws before Townes converted a three-point play to make it 76-74 with 6: 37 left. After a Volunteers turnover, Sonny Weems hit his first field goal of the game, and it was tied at 76 with 6: 04 to play. The team that came here looking to play its way into the tournament was playing a presumed No. 1 seed off its feet. There was no fear in their faces or play. The team whose heart was easy to question at times this season, the team that was labeled as unable to win away from home, was not going quietly into the night.

After Ramar Smith missed two free throws with 3: 48 to play, Weems soared above the rim and slammed Ervin’s alley-oop pass through the nylon to tie it at 83. Ervin, who had seven assists and just one turnover in 34 minutes, nailed a three after a Vols field goal and Weems hit a jumper with 2: 03 to play for an 88-85 lead.

Lofton tied it with a three, but with 58. 2 seconds left, he made only one of two free throws. He only missed two free throws all night, but they swung the momentum Arkansas’ way.

With 23. 9 to play, a Tennessee three bounced long and Lofton controlled the rebound. The Vols got a timeout and scored with 20. 1 seconds to play on the inbounds pass.

Ervin came upcourt, went left and then went to the right. He was going so hard and fast he almost fell on his face but caught himself and never lost contact with the ball. It seemed like the state of Tennessee was in front of him when he jerked back upright. The only open man was Hill.

Hill took the pass, turned calmly and dropped in a shot that was higher than it was long.

The Hogs stormed the court, and today they should find themselves pleasantly surprised when the NCAA pairings are announced.

The guys who knocked off one of the nation’s best teams should find themselves a solid seed for March Madness.