After shot-blocking Charles Thomas’ bid to win it for Arkansas in regulation, Alabama’s Demetrius Jemison couldn’t hang on to prevent Thomas from icing it, 71-67 in overtime for the Razorbacks in Sunday’s SEC West game before 19, ™ at Walton Arena.

With 14. 7 seconds left in OT and Arkansas up only 69-67, Patrick Beverley’s second straight missed free throw caromed directly to Jemison. Jemison couldn’t quite grasp the unexpected gift. It rolled out of bounds. So did the Crimson Tide with senior forward Thomas sinking both free throws upon getting fouled two seconds after Arkansas inbounded.

“ It feels horrible to know that I had the opportunity to give us another chance and I missed it, ” Jemison said. “ It just slid through my fingertips. ” Thomas quickly grasped Jemison’s sorrow could mean Hog Heaven.

“ The basketball gods gave us a break, ” Thomas said. “ We had our

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shooters on the team out there and they got the ball to

me and I knocked them down and it was game-time. ” Thus first-year coach John Pelphrey’s Razorbacks finally won the game they never trailed in regulation.

“ Alabama doesn’t quit, ” Thomas said. “ We had many chances to put this game out of reach, but credit Alabama for coming back in a hostile environment and credit us for sticking in there and making the bigger plays down towards the end. ”

Arkansas advances, 13-3 over- all and 2-0 in the SEC West into Wednesday’s 7 p. m. SEC game against South Carolina at Walton.

Senior center Dar ian Townes (18 points ) senior forward Sonny Weems of West Memphis (17 points ) Thomas, a double-double (13 points and 10 rebounds ) and Ervin (12 points ) led Arkansas’ scoring.

The Hogs’ 20 of 29 free throw shooting to Alabama’s 10 of 18 overcame Alabama hitting two more field goals, which were both 3-pointers.

Despite spor ting two of the SEC’s premier players, center Richard Hendrix and versatile guard-forward Alonzo Gee, and getting bigtime second-half shots from Pine Bluff native Mykal Riley, Alabama falls to 11-6 overall and 0-2 in the SEC off hardfought losses to Florida and Arkansas.

Hendrix (17 points and 11 rebounds ) and Gee (15 points and 5 boards ) still had big games. But not as big as their combined 56 points against Florida.

Alabama was down 36-28 at half and down 12 with 17: 08 left in Sunday’s game, but came back with a zone defense and some timely shooting.

Riley (16 points and 6 boards before fouling out in OT ) tied it 60-all after drilling a trey with 17 seconds left before Jemison blocked Thomas’ drive in the regulation’s waning seconds.

“ You just knew Mykal’s shots were going in, ” Pelphrey said of an Arkansan primed to play Arkansas.

On two free throws at 4: 43 and then with a field goal as the shot clock was about to buzz at 1: 46, Riley gave Alabama 62-60 and 64-62 leads in OT.

Arkansas senior point guard Gary Ervin, heretofore shooting a miserable 2 for 11, stepped up to hit a big trey, putting Arkansas up 65-64 with 1: 28. Then Razorback senior small forward Weems of West Memphis rebounded Hendrix’s miss, and bounce-passed to a breaking Ervin for a fouldrawing layup. Ervin completed the 3-point play for what proved to be an insurmountable 68-64 lead.

However it didn’t look insurmountable when a Gee three closed it 68-67 followed by Ervin making only one of two free throws.

Gee missed with 19 seconds left. Usually Arkansas ’ Mr. Clutch, Beverley unexpectedly missed both free throws before the Tide’s sand slid through Jemison’s fingers and Thomas put the game away.

Though Beverley missed the two big free throws, ran into foul trouble and only scored six points after averaging a team-leading 12. 7, the Hogs couldn’t have won it without him.

The 6-1 sophomore grabbed a game-leading 13 rebounds as his teammates boxed Hendrix and Gee. Beverley seemed to snag about every overtime loose ball and rebound.

“ I said with Gee and Hendrix some guard today needs to get 8, 9 or 10 rebounds, ” Pelphrey said. “ Patrick gets 13. ”

And that was with his jaw out of joint before trainer Dave England reset it.

“ He got his jaw knocked out of place, ” Pelphrey said. “ He played through it for two minutes in the first half. I remember getting my elbow dislocated and it felt like the worst thing ever. So I can’t imagine what your jaw would feel like. ”

Pelphrey also praised Townes, Thomas, Ervin and Weems and the collective effort it took to re-win a game that seemed won until Riley’s late-regulation baskets and Jemison’s big shot block.

“ We have a chance to win in regulation and don’t get the ball on the rim and it’s hard, especially overtime when they get the first bucket, ” Pelphrey said. “ But everyone stayed on the same page. If we had any attitude that wasn’t encouraging, we probably wouldn’t have won. ”