Well, it was fun while it lasted. Arkansas's win streak ends at two with an 85-81 loss against No. 3 Alabama.
At times, the Hogs looked to have regressed. Bad shot selections. Sloppy defense. Unwise fouls. All showed their ugly heads at the beginning of the second half, but Arkansas never gave up.
The first 20 minutes were a different story. Arkansas forced nine Bama turnovers, counteracting its gaudy 59.3 shooting percentage. Despite the Tide's incredible shooting, the Razorbacks were only down by six points heading into the locker room.
Zvonimir Ivisic led the Hogs with 15 points, nine from beyond the arc, and Adou Thiero trailed close behind with 11. Unfortunately, Arkansas blew any momentum, giving up a 22-8 Alabama run to start the second half.
The Tide's largest lead was 18 with 6:29 left in the game. Miraculously, Arkansas went on a massive run of its own, racking up 24 points in six minutes and 24 seconds and bringing the Hogs within two points. But it was too little, too late. With only five seconds left, Bama iced the game with free throws.
Ivisic had a career day, good for an unbelievable 27 points, including five tres, seven boards, three blocks, and three steals. Needless to say, if it weren't for Big Z, the Hogs would've been in big trouble. The Croatian Sensations is becoming all Hog fans hoped for and more. Thiero also finished with over 20 points, scoring 22, impressively riding the last 14:11 with four fouls.