Road block

Hogs blow late lead, lose to Clemson in OT

Clemson's Landry Nnoko, top, slams a dunk in overtime while Arkansas players Bobby Portis, left, and Anthlon Bell watch during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Dec. 7, 2014, at Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, S.C. Clemson won 68-65. (AP Photo/Richard Shiro)

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Rod Hall scored 11 of his 19 points in the final minute of regulation and overtime to rally Clemson to a 68-65 victory over No. 18 Arkansas on Sunday night.

The Tigers (5-3) trailed 57-51 on Bobby Portis' layup with 1:17 to go. That's when Hall led the Clemson comeback. He made a layup before converting a Razorbacks' turnover into another basket. Rashad Madden coughed up the ball again for Arkansas, and Jaron Blossomgame made a layup to tie the game at 57-57.

Hall started the extra period with a 3-pointer to put Clemson ahead for good.

Michael Qualls hit a 3-pointer to bring Arkansas within 68-65 with 1:01 to play. But that was as close as the Razorbacks (6-2) would get.

Qualls had 21 points and Portis 18 for Arkansas.

Blossomgame added 17 points for Clemson which defeated its second Southeastern Conference opponent this season.

The Tigers defeated LSU 64-61 last month at the Paradise Jam.

This one certainly looked like a defeat for Clemson after Arkansas overcame a nine-point deficit to lead by as many as eight points down the stretch.

Arkansas had a chance to get closer in overtime down 68-65, but Alandise Harris missed a layup and Qualls was short on a 3-pointer in the final seconds.

Arkansas and Clemson were both looking to end the week much better than they started.

The Razorbacks lost their first game of the season Thursday in a 95-77 blowout at No. 20 Iowa State. The Tigers watched a seven-point lead disappear the final eight minutes in a 69-64 home loss to Rutgers in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Monday night.

The matchup featured one of the country's top offenses in Arkansas against a Clemson team that hangs its hat on defense — the Tigers were fifth nationally last year in points given up.

And it was defense that won out early as the Razorbacks were held to their fewest points in a half this season.

Clemson led 29-20 after Hall's 3-pointer with 2:02 left in the opening period. But Michael Qualls scored the final five points of the half, including a three-point play, to trim Clemson's margin to 29-25 at the break.

Similar shooting woes that doomed Clemson against Rutgers cropped up again as the Tigers made only two of their final 12 shots of the half.

TIP INS

Arkansas: The Razorbacks have spent consecutive weeks in the national rankings for the first time since December 2000.

Clemson: The game with the Razorbacks is the start of three straight contests facing Southeastern Conference opponents for the Tigers. Clemson takes on Auburn at home Sunday before heading to face rival South Carolina on Dec. 19.

UP NEXT

Arkansas plays host to Dayton on Saturday.

Clemson plays host to Auburn on Sunday.