Hogs can't finish off Tigers, absorb 2nd road loss, in OT

Clemson's Donte Grantham, front right, shoots while pressured by Arkansas's Rashad Madden during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Dec. 7, 2014, at Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, S.C. (AP Photo/Richard Shiro)

CLEMSON, S.C. -- Perhaps the key point about Clemson was not that the Tigers had lost to Winthrop and Gardner-Webb and barely escaped High Point. Perhaps more relevant to a 68-65 overtime victory over Arkansas on Sunday was another three-point victory, on Nov. 24, in the Bahamas, over LSU.

Perhaps the Tigers (5-3) just play most everyone close and are getting better at it. No. 18 Arkansas (6-2) was Clemson's first-ranked victim since Duke, then 13th, on Jan. 11.

Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson took the loss with a certain calmness, at least publicly, after the emotions settled.

"I'm certainly disappointed in the outcome," Anderson said. "I'll take the blame. We didn't close it off, but let's give Clemson credit. They had a chance to fold their tents, and they didn't go away."

Clemson led 29-25 at halftime, but Anderson's Razorbacks turned up the defensive pressure, and when the Arkansas lead reached 45-37 on a Jabril Durham layup with 11:09 remaining, a significant number of the 6,764 fans present at Littlejohn Coliseum left at that point.

The Tigers, however, did not.

Anderson said he didn't think Sunday's loss was a lingering effect of the loss to Iowa State three nights earlier. He didn't think his team felt any particular pressure. He just thought Clemson played better.

"The game, I thought, was dictated by Clemson in the first half," he said. "We scored 25 points. We can score 25 points in 10 minutes. We ratcheted it up a little bit in the second half, but we didn't get the job finished.

"It was a game of runs. They had a chance to have their runs."

Clemson's run to tie was more like a jog, and it comprised the rest of the game. The Tigers caught the Razorbacks with nine seconds remaining in regulation on a driving layup by Jaron Blossomgame, who wound up scoring 17.

Overtime was all Clemson. Rod Hall, the Tigers' high scorer with 19, hit a three-pointer 28 seconds into the extra period, Bobby Portis missed one on the other end, Blossomgame rebounded, and Landry Nnoko gave Clemson a 62-57 lead thanks to Damarcus Harrison's assist with 3:39 to go in overtime.

Anthlon Bell countered with a three-pointer at 3:28 to make it 62-60, but Clemson scored the next four points -- on two Rod Hall free throws and Blossomgame's dunk to lead 66-60 with 2:07 to play.

Manuale Watkins hit a layup at 1:31 to cut the deficit to 66-62, but the Hogs found themselves down by six again, after Hall made two free throws with 1:11 left.

The Razorbacks drew back within three on Qualls' three-pointer at 1:01, but neither team scored the rest of the way. Qualls led Arkansas with 21 points. Clemson, led by Blossomgame's 8, outrebounded the Razorbacks, 36-28.

"Close games may have helped us," Clemson Coach Brad Brownell said. "Obviously, we've beaten Arkansas and LSU in close games. We're still figuring some things out, identity-wise. We rise to the occasion, but there are times when we aren't as competitive as we need to be."

Clemson (4-4) scored the first two baskets and succeeded early in slowing the pace of the game and hitting the offensive boards, particularly evidenced by two early putbacks by freshman Donte Grantham. The Tigers maintained the lead for most of the first half, outscoring Arkansas 15-6 to take a 29-20 edge at the 1:40 mark. Qualls drew a foul, hit two free throws, and completed a three-point play on consecutive possessions in the final minute, drawing the Razorbacks within four, 29-25, at halftime.

The Razorbacks came out pressing in the second half and took the lead, 37-36, five minutes in. Durham's driving layup with 11:04 remaining stretched the lead to 45-37 as Clemson's bid faded.

Seemingly.

Sports on 12/08/2014