NCAA BASKETBALL: Late runs sparks Arkansas over Vanderbilt in SEC final

NASHVILLE — Tournament Most Valuable Player Darius Acuff Jr. scored 30 points and dished out 11 assists, leading 17th-ranked Arkansas to an 86-75 victory over No. 22 Vanderbilt in the Southeastern Conference tournament final on Sunday.

The third-seeded Razorbacks made 62.5% of their 3-pointers (15 of 24), with five players hitting shots from beyond the arc.

Trevon Brazile added 16 points, including four of five from three-point range. Two of those came on back-to-back possessions just after fourth-seeded Vanderbilt took a two-point lead with 3:41 remaining. Brazile also contributed nine rebounds, two blocks, two steals, and a fastbreak dunk that capped a 14-0 run to seal the win.

“We’re not done yet,” Acuff said. “We’ve still got more to go.”

Billy Richmond III scored 18 points for Arkansas (26-8). Razorbacks coach John Calipari praised the growth of his players. “You look at Billy, you look at how much Darius has grown—not only as a basketball player, but as a leader. It’s incredible,” he said.

For Vanderbilt (26-8), Duke Miles led with 19 points, nine assists, and four steals, but the Commodores lost both meetings with Arkansas this season by double digits. Tyler Nickel broke out of a shooting slump, making five of seven 3-pointers and scoring 19 points. Tyler Tanner added 15 points but struggled from the field, going three of 15, and had just one assist.

Nickel tied the game at 66 with a corner 3-pointer after a nearly eight-minute field-goal drought. “The SEC is so talented from top to bottom,” Nickel said. “The teams we faced got us ready for the postseason. Physical, hard-playing, strong front courts—we had to be super tough and aggressive. That intensity is exactly what we’ll need going forward.”

Arkansas responded by sandwiching a Tanner layup with second-chance 3-pointers from Acuff and D.J. Wagner. Miles brought Vanderbilt within 74-72 at 3:41, but Brazile’s three-pointers at 3:13 and 2:18 extended the lead to eight points.

Vanderbilt briefly held its biggest lead of the game at 55-49 early in the second half, but missed seven straight field goals as Arkansas went on an 11-0 run.

The first half ended at a fast pace, with Arkansas leading 41-39. Acuff hit a pair of 3s in the final 49 seconds to help the Razorbacks maintain their lead. “Just my teammates believing in me,” Acuff said. “They trust me with the ball, and I’ve just got to make the plays. Downhill was working all weekend and today—I just had to be smart with the ball.”

Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington praised Acuff, who was named first-team All-America, 2026 SEC Player of the Year, SEC Freshman of the Year, and first-team All-SEC. “His shiftiness and speed are elite,” Byington said. “You need more than one guy to guard him. There aren’t many game plans that can stop him.”

Richmond III led all scorers with 14 first-half points. Miles and Tanner were named to the all-tournament team.

—Chris Lee, Field Level Media/Reuters