Portis picks up the tap

Arkansas forward Bobby Portis, right, celebrates and takes photos with students after his game-winning shot in overtime of an NCAA college basketball game against Alabama on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015, in Fayetteville, Ark. Arkansas defeated Alabama 93-91. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)

FAYETTEVILLE -- Ky Madden threw up a prayer. Bobby Portis answered it.

Portis tipped Madden's airball into the basket with one second left in overtime, lifting Arkansas to a 93-91 victory Thursday night at Walton Arena.

Officials confirmed Portis' basket beat the buzzer several moments later, after watching a replay at courtside, and the Razorbacks and an announced crowd of 11,528 finally were able to celebrate.

Portis, a 6-11 sophomore from Little Rock, had a free path to the basket when Alabama's Shannon Hale didn't get a body on him.

"It's just a play I had to make at the time," said Portis, who tipped the ball with his right hand. "Ky missed it, and my man was just watching him. I just flashed to the hole and tipped it in.

"I had time to tip it and look back to see what the time was, so I knew that the basket would count."

Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson credited Madden with at least getting a shot off after Hale's three-point basket tied the game 91-91 with 8.8 seconds left in overtime, and Alabama Coach Anthony Grant praised his team's defense.

"I thought we did a great job on the first shot trying to make them miss, but he [Portis] did what you're supposed to do," Grant said. "He chased it, and he was able to get it in before the horn went off."

Alabama held Portis to 10 points -- less than half of his SEC-leading 23.3 average in conference play -- and 4-of-12 shooting, but he matched his career-high with 13 rebounds.

Portis' career-high 35 points came in a 65-58 victory over the Crimson Tide last year in Walton Arena.

"We just tried to keep him off the glass, hold him to limited points," said freshman guard Justin Coleman, who led the Tide with 22 points. "But he ended up scoring the game-winning basket."

Portis' tip-in wasn't as spectacular as Michael Qualls' game-winning putback dunk that beat Kentucky in overtime at Walton Arena last season, but that didn't matter to the Razorbacks (14-4, 3-2) as they ended a two-game losing streak.

"Bobby's play, that was stupendous," said Qualls, a junior guard who led Arkansas with a career-high 30 points. "This win was vital for us. Don't care how we got it. A half-point, that would have been enough for us."

The game had 15 ties and 14 lead changes. The lead changed five times in overtime.

"That's one for the ages," Anderson said. "You talk about classics and games that are defining moments. I think we're going to look back on that one there, and that's going to reflect a lot of grit, a lot of guts and our guys playing with a lot of energy and just finding a way to win."

Alabama (12-6, 2-3) sent the game into overtime on Michael Kessens' three-point play with 2.3 seconds left in regulation that tied the score 78-78. Kessens scored on a layup, was fouled by Portis and hit the game-tying free throw.

"I knew I had messed up in regulation when I had fouled him," Portis said. "I had to do something to make up for it."

Portis said he was confident Arkansas would win even after Hale's three-pointer appeared like it would send the game to a second overtime.

"Finish it right there," Portis said was his thought. "When I tipped it in, I was like 'Oh yeah.' "

Madden scored 17 points, and Arkansas freshman guard Anton Beard had 11 off the bench.

The Tide got 21 points from Ricky Tarrant, 15 from Rodney Cooper and 12 from Levi Randolph, to go along with the surprising Coleman, who came into the game averaging 4.4 points.

Portis scored fewer than 11 points for the first time in 13 games.

"Bobby has done so much for our basketball team, and obviously he feels he needs to try to carry us at times, but tonight it wasn't the case," Anderson said. "Alabama did a good job of really sinking their defense around him and he didn't finish, but it was good to see some other guys step up."

But Portis was where the Razorbacks needed him to be at the end..

"It was fitting for Bobby, since what took place in regulation, for him to tip it in," Anderson said. "That's the mark of a guy that wants to win in the worst way."

Sports on 01/23/2015