If you were in Coleman Coliseum for Wednesday night's Alabama-Arkansas game, hold onto your ticket stub. Or QR code, I guess.
That will be a game that is talked about for a long, long time. The Crimson Tide overcame a 14-point second-half deficit and outlasted the Hogs 117-115 in double overtime to earn a pivotal win in the SEC standings and for NCAA Tournament positioning.
Arkansas star guard Darius Acuff Jr. put together a performance that ranks among the best by visiting players in Coleman Coliseum history, scoring 49 points, albeit in a losing effort. It will be discussed in historical contexts in the same breath as Maravich and Morant.
But in the immediate, the story is Alabama's ability to overcome adversity. To be pushed to the brink and fight, scratch, and claw their way to a victory. Because most teams would have folded. In fact, over the last 30 seasons, 247 teams had faced an opponent that did what Arkansas did last night. All 247 lost.
Not Alabama.
Per OptaStats, Alabama became the first team in 30 years to win a game against an opponent that scored 115+ points and turned it over less than 10 times:
Arkansas is the only Division I team in the last 30 seasons to score 115+ points with fewer than 10 turnovers but still lose.
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) February 19, 2026
Division I teams had been 247-0 over that span when doing that in a game. pic.twitter.com/BoA6m7nZBt
Alabama made history in Wednesday night's win over Arkansas
Alabama got the best shot from Arkansas on Wednesday night in Tuscaloosa, and the Crimson Tide found a way to win anyway. The Razorbacks got a virtuoso performance from Acuff, shot 49% from the field and 50% from three, and only turned it over seven times in a 50-minute basketball game.
But Alabama won because of its relentless effort to attack the paint. The Tide finished +7 on the glass thanks to double-doubles from Aiden Sherrell and Amari Allen, and Alabama scored 58 points in the paint, which helped it overcome a mediocre night from three, hitting just 10-of-29 (34%) from behind the line. It was another tough night for the "live by the three, die by the three" crowd.
Labaron Philon's 35 points and 7 assists led the way for Oats' team. He consistently got downhill and scored at the rim and got to the free-throw line. He also frequently made smart decisions by hitting Sherrell in the lane, allowing the sophomore center to do a lot of damage on the interior.
It's a confidence-boosting win for Alabama. And it's the exact type of game that shows the importance of playing a difficult non-conference schedule. Because Alabama is as battle-tested as any team in the country, and it didn't panic despite falling behind by double-digits.
It's that ability that will serve it well as we approach March.