LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The University of Arkansas men’s basketball team is dancing to the Sweet 16 after upsetting top-seeded Kansas 72-71 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament Saturday at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa.
Arkansas is now 2-11 all-time against No. 1 seeds in March Madness, with the other victory coming against Gonzaga last year.
The eighth-seeded Razorbacks, in their first meeting with the Jayhawks since 2005, were led by junior guard Davonte Davis' 25 points.
And he took over in the second half.
After trailing 35-27 at halftime, Davis willed Arkansas to an 8-0 run, ending with a three-pointer by freshman guard Jordan Walsh to give the Hogs a 52-51 lead with 8:51 to play.
Davis scored 21 points in the second half and shot 9-of-15 from the field. He grabbed eight rebounds and had one assist before fouling out with 1:56 remaining.
The junior's high energy was a difference-maker as the Razorbacks were able to swing the momentum in their favor down the stretch.
Like every heavyweight bout, battling on a big stage, both teams took blows, but Arkansas's resilience prevailed.
The Razorbacks and the defending champion Jayhawks were tied four times with three lead changes in the second half.
Arkansas shot 41.1% from the field and was 3-of-15 from three. Junior guard Ricky Council added 21 points, six rebounds and four assists for the Razorbacks, while Walsh delivered 10 points and three rebounds off the bench.
Senior forward Kamoni Johnson, who scored four points and had a team-high 10 rebounds for the Hogs, put Arkansas ahead 67-65 with a putback layup after gathering one of the Razorbacks' 15 offensive rebounds.
Arkansas outrebounded Kansas 36 to 29 and scored more than a dozen points off 12 turnovers.
The Hogs sealed the upset victory in the final minute as junior guard Ricky Council made 6-of-7 free throws to send Arkansas to the Sweet 16 for the third consecutive season.
Kansas, who was without head coach Bill Self, is now 47-1 when leading by eight or more points at the half in the NCAA Tournament.
The Razorbacks will face No. 4 seed Connecticut in the Sweet 16. Coverage from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas begins at 6:15 p.m. Central on THV11.