FAYETTEVILLE — Courtney Fortson scored 24 points — including nine in a row late in overtime — to lead Arkansas over Auburn 82-79 on Saturday.
Fortson’s 3-pointer broke a 71-71 tie, and he later hit from the perimeter and made two free throws with 40.6 seconds left to make it 78-73. After an Auburn miss, Fortson grabbed the rebound and went coast to coast for a layup and a seven-point lead.
Auburn (11-12, 2-6 Southeastern Conference) had forced overtime with Andre Malone’s layup on wild play in the final seconds of regulation. The Tigers nearly tied it again on the last play of overtime, but Frankie Sullivan’s midcourt shot hit the back of the rim.
Arkansas (12-11, 5-3) has won four straight.
The 5-foot-11 Fortson also finished with 10 rebounds and seven assists, and he nearly ended it in regulation with a layup with 14.1 seconds left. Down 67-65, Auburn’s Tay Waller tried a contested 3-pointer that missed, but Sullivan saved the ball as it went toward the Tigers’ bench and threw it back toward the basket.
Sullivan’s heave didn’t come close to going in, but Malone was all alone to catch the ball and lay it in just before the buzzer.
Sullivan and Waller each scored 18 points for Auburn. Waller’s 3-pointer late in overtime made it 81-79, but Fortson made one of two free throws with 4.2 seconds left.
After a timeout, Sullivan lost control of the ball rushing it up court. He recovered it in time to get off a shot from midcourt. It was on line but a tiny bit long, and Sullivan collapsed to the floor in disappointment.
Marshawn Powell scored 19 points for the Razorbacks, who lost center Michael Washington with 8:09 left in the second half to an apparent left leg injury.
Auburn beat Arkansas 73-51 here last season, the largest margin of victory by a visiting team in this building. The Tigers arrived ready to shoot Saturday. Their first seven field goal attempts were from 3-point range, and they went 12 of 34 from long range in the game.
The Razorbacks trailed 38-36 at halftime and 65-62 in the final minute of regulation. Powell’s three-point play with 58.3 seconds remaining tied it.
Two weekends ago, Arkansas lost at Kentucky by 31 points. The Razorbacks have gone 4-0 since then and are now in sole possession of first place in the SEC West.
Auburn was playing for the first time in a week.