Arkansas beat Vanderbilt to win first SEC tournament title since 2000
Darius Acuff Jr scored 30 points as 17th-ranked Arkansas beat Vanderbilt 86-75 to claim their first SEC tournament title since 2000 and secure an automatic NCAA tournament berth.
The freshman point guard also provided 11 assists during a dominant performance in Nashville, Tennessee.
Victory for the Razorbacks secured a monumental milestone for their veteran head coach.
John Calipari became the first head coach in SEC history to lift the tournament trophy with two different programmes.
Calipari achieves historic conference double
He previously guided Kentucky to six SEC tournament crowns, with his last triumph coming in 2018.
His latest success brings his phenomenal career tally to 16 conference tournament championships.
The showpiece event developed into a fascinating battle between two highly rated guards.
Vanderbilt’s Tyler Tanner was tasked with containing the SEC player of the year, but struggled to restrict the dynamic teenager.
The mesmerising playmaker dazzled the crowd with a combination of fadeaway jumpers, deep three-pointers and intricate passing.
Razorbacks pull away in tense finale
Despite leading 41-39 at the interval, Arkansas found themselves trailing early in the second half.
A crucial three-pointer from AK Okereke sparked a 9-4 run that gave the Commodores their largest advantage of the contest at 55-49.
However, the 22nd-ranked outfit subsequently suffered a disastrous shooting slump.
They missed 12 of their next 13 attempts, allowing their opponents to mount a ferocious comeback.
With the match delicately poised at 66-66, the Razorbacks executed a flawless 12-0 scoring burst to emphatically seal the championship.
Supporting cast delivers on the big stage
Billy Richmond III contributed a vital 18 points to support the scoring masterclass from his backcourt partner.
Trevon Brazile added 16 points, while D.J. Wagner chipped in with 11 to ensure a comfortable winning margin.
Duke Miles and Tyler Nickel paced the scoring for Vanderbilt with 19 points apiece in a valiant losing effort.
The defeat denied the Commodores their first tournament title since 2012, when they famously defeated Calipari’s Kentucky side.