No. 8 Arkansas halts No. 1 Kansas’ NCAA Tournament title defense with second-round upset
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The second No. 1 seed in the NCAA men’s tournament has gone down before the Sweet 16.
No. 8 Arkansas knocked off No. 1 Kansas 72-71 with a spirited second-half surge and late free throws by Ricky Council IV.
The Razorbacks trailed by 10 midway through the second half. An 11-0 run gave them the lead 52-51 on a three-pointer by Jordan Walsh with 8:55 left.
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The lead would swing back and forth until Jalen Wilson tied the score with 39 seconds left on two free throws.
On the ensuing possession, Council drove to the basket and was cut off by Kevin McCullar Jr. A blocking foul was called. Council would make the first of two attempts. His second shot missed but he got the offensive rebound and was fouled attempting a shot. Council then sank two free throws to put Arkansas up three.
Wilson added two free throws for Kansas. The Jayhawks then fouled Council, who hit two more free throws.
Arkansas fouled Wilson on the ensuing possession with three seconds left. Wilson made two free throws, and Kansas couldn’t foul in time before the clock expired.
Davonte Davis led the Razorbacks with 25 points before fouling out. Council finished with 21 points. Wilson topped all Kansas scorers with 20 points.
The loss before the Sweet 16 was a disappointing end for the Jayhawks after winning the national title last season and this year’s Big 12 regular season. They were playing without coach Bill Self, who missed the Big 12 tournament and first two games of the NCAA Tournament after being hospitalized last week for a cardiac procedure.
Follow Erick Smith on Twitter @ErickSmith
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: No. 8 Arkansas halts No. 1 Kansas’ NCAA Tournament title defense with second-round upset