The University of Arkansas men's basketball team never trailed in the first 40 minutes of Saturday's regular-season finale at No. 16 Alabama, but the Crimson Tide took control in overtime.
Alabama shot 7 of 9 from the field in overtime to beat the Razorbacks 92-88 before an announced crowd of 11,031 at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
"The object is to win, but I can't fault our effort," Arkansas Coach Eric Musselman said. "We played really, really hard.
"I've been saying it for quite some time that we're getting better. We looked like a better basketball team, although we didn't win."
Alabama (21-10, 13-5 SEC) finished with a 14-2 home record with losses to Clemson and No. 4 Tennessee.
"Hard building to play in," Musselman said. "Really talented team, a team that's Final Four caliber talent-wise.
"We controlled the game for 38 minutes or whatever it was. So we played good, but not good enough to beat Alabama on their home floor today."
Arkansas (15-16, 6-12) led for 38:35 of regulation before Alabama tied the game at 74-74 on a step back three-pointer by senior guard Latrell Wrightsell with 21 seconds left.
Alabama Coach Nate Oats called a timeout to set up his defense.
The Razorbacks got the ball to senior guard Khalif Battle, who finished with 22 points, for the final possession of regulation.
It figured Battle, who hit 11 of 11 free throws, would attempt a drive to the basket, but instead he missed a three-point attempt with a second left.
Wrightsell got the rebound to send the game to overtime.
"There was no need for the three," Musselman said. "He made a read, and you live with that as a coach. Don't want to put the blame on any shot or any one play certainly.
"But we had the ball in the guy's hands we wanted, running the clock down. Because he was 11 of 11 from the foul line, we certainly would have preferred a dribble drive and to try to see if we could score in zone one."
Battle did drive much of the game, including on a play with 34 seconds left where he got deep in the lane and passed to 6-10 senior Makhi Mitchell.
Mitchell attempted to dunk, but the ball went off the rim.
Alabama 6-10 senior Nick Pringle was credited with a blocked shot, but replays showed he made contact with Mitchell's body.
Arkansas led 74-71, so if a foul had been called, Mitchell -- an 80% free throw shooter in the season who was 4 of 6 in the game -- would have gone to the line with a chance to put the Razorbacks ahead by five points.
But no foul was called.
"Obviously their three-point shooting is dangerous, and I feel like [Mitchell] got fouled," Arkansas sophomore forward Trevon Brazile said. "That was a big point in the game. When that was a no-call, that killed us, I felt like."
Musselman was asked about the play and sounded resigned to the fact Arkansas wouldn't get a foul call on the road in that situation.
"That hasn't happened for us all season long quite frankly," Musselman said. "I saw the body contact. ... But it's not worth commenting on. It's not worth sending things in [to the SEC office].
"Alabama beat us, no excuses. But there was contact with 'Khi.
"What are they going to tell us? That after reviewing it we'll find out tomorrow that it was missed. But it doesn't change the outcome of the game."
The Razorbacks started 15 of 23 from the field to build a 15-point lead at 36-21 with 6:24 left in the first half after Davonte Davis made a steal and passed to El Ellis for a layup.
Alabama regrouped and pulled within 42-36 at halftime.
"They were ready to play, we were not," Oats said of the Tide's first-half struggles, which included eight turnovers. "I think our energy was much better to start the second half. We played much better once we decided to play defense and not turn the ball over."
Battle hit two free throws to put the Razorbacks ahead 72-65 with 2:42 left, but the Tide hit 3 of 5 three-pointers in the final 2:32 of regulation -- two by Wrightsell and one by senior forward Grant Nelson -- to force overtime.
"Defensively we gave up a couple catch-and-shoot threes without making them floor the ball," Musselman said.
Alabama never trailed in overtime and driving baskets by senior guards Aaron Estrada and Mark Sears gave the Tide an 84-80 lead with 1:40 left.
Junior guard Tramon Mark's three-pointer pulled the Razorbacks with 90-88 with eight seconds left.
Alabama broke Arkansas' press before the Razorbacks could foul and freshman forward Mark Walters scored on a breakaway dunk with three seconds left to clinch the game.
"We didn't play well this game," Oats said. "But kept fighting, kept fighting.
"They need to know that when we don't play well, if you keep fighting, stay the course, do what we're supposed to do, we still have a chance to win."
Sears led the Tide with 22 points and six assists, Wrightsell had 20 points, while Nelson finished with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Pringle and Walters each added 10 points.
Mitchell had 18 points, 5 rebounds and 4 blocked shots. He hit 7 of 9 shots. Mark had 13 points, and Brazile had 12 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocked shots.
Ellis, a senior guard, had 11 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Senior guard Jeremiah Davenport added eight points.
The Razorbacks had 16 turnovers, including 6 by Battle and 4 by Mitchell.
"This Arkansas team might not have a great record, but they're a very talented team," Oats said. "There were multiple NBA scouts here today, and they were looking at players on both teams.
"I thought our guys -- against a pretty talented group -- hung in there and made a bunch of tough plays."
The Razorbacks cooled off after their hot-shooting start and finished 30 of 67 from the field (44.8%), including 4 of 20 on three-pointers. They hit 24 of 27 free throws.
Alabama shot 44% (33 of 75), but made 9 of 30 three-pointers and 17 of 25 free throws.
"Obviously it's tough to go into an environment like this and win," Brazile said. "But we all played hard, so that's all you can ask for."