Arkansas gets first SEC win on wild finish

Adou Thiero sank a pair of free throws with 1.6 seconds left, then scored a layup at the buzzer after rebounding his missed second attempt to give Arkansas a 68-65 victory over visiting Georgia in Fayetteville on Wednesday in Southeastern Conference play .

With a score of 63, Thiero’s jumper gave Arkansas a two-point lead with 30.6 seconds left. But Georgia’s Asa Newell knocked down a pair of free throws with 14 seconds left to tie it back up. Thiero then rebounded DJ Wagner’s missed layup and was fouled, leading to Thiero’s three points in the final 1.6 seconds.

Thiero led Arkansas (12-7, 1-5) with 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Karter Knox added 13 points in the win. The Razorbacks snapped a five-game losing streak despite shooting 31 percent from the field and 13 percent (3-for-23) on 3-pointers. Arkansas made 29 of its 34 free throw attempts.

Newell led Georgia (14-5, 2-4) with 18 points and eight rebounds, followed by RJ Godfrey’s 11 points. The Bulldogs have lost three games in a row.

After holding a 38-26 halftime lead, Georgia pushed its advantage to 15 when Godfrey and Newell each converted three-point plays to put the Bulldogs ahead 46-31 with 16:40 remaining.

With 12:18 left, Somto Cyril’s free throw gave Georgia a 52-41 lead before Arkansas held the Bulldogs without a made field goal until Dakota Leffew’s stepback jumper at the 9:16 mark, ending the Razorbacks’ 7-0 run.

Newell’s hook shot gave Georgia a 58-55 lead with 6:13 left, but Arkansas scored the game’s next four points and took its first lead on Knox’s free throw with 4:40 left.

After Silas Demary Jr.’s three-point play for Georgia, two more Knox free throws tied the game at 61 with 2:51 left. Godfrey’s layup was then answered by Wagner’s free throw, again tying the game at 63-63 with less than two minutes remaining.

After Trevon Brazile’s layup cut Georgia’s early lead to 7-6, Blue Cain’s back-to-back baskets began an 8-0 run for the Bulldogs. Davis followed with four straight points for Arkansas, but Georgia took its biggest lead to that point at 23-12 on consecutive 3-pointers by Demary.

Jonas Aidoo’s layup trimmed Arkansas’ deficit to 27-18 with 5:51 left in the opening half before Newell’s dunk and De’Shayne Montgomery’s free throw extended Georgia’s lead to 13.

After Newell capped Georgia’s first-half scoring with three free throws, Zvonimir Ivisic hit Arkansas’ first 10-point 3-pointer to cut the Razorbacks’ halftime deficit to eight.

–Field-level media