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Acuff’s big night pushes Arkansas past Tennessee in SEC opener

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Acuff’s big night pushes Arkansas past Tennessee in SEC opener


FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Conference play has a way of revealing what teams really are, and Arkansas fans it’s a positive omen for the rest of the season.

Behind a career-high 29 points from freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr., the Razorbacks opened league play Saturday with an 86-75 victory over Tennessee at Bud Walton Arena.

After starting 0-5 last season, but having to battle their way to a Sweet 16 spot, they showed it’s not the end of the world. Now everybody will see what happens when they start strong.

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Arkansas improved to 11-3 overall and 1-0 in the SEC, snapping a short run of slow conference starts while giving the home crowd a reason to settle in for winter.

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The Volunteers arrived with a reputation for toughness and efficiency, and they lived up to that billing early, trading baskets and refusing to let the Hogs separate.

Tennessee shot well most of the afternoon and stayed within reach even when Arkansas briefly surged in the first half.

The difference was not dominance but steadiness, especially when the game tightened late.

Arkansas leaned on balance, patience, and the calm of a freshman who played like he had been here before.

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Acuff shot 9 of 16 from the field and knocked down the biggest shot of the day, a three-pointer with 2:09 left that pushed the Razorbacks’ lead to 79-68.

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The basket came just as Tennessee threatened to turn a close game into a coin flip.

“I was just trying to make the right play,” Acuff said. “Coach tells us to be confident and take our shots with conviction.”

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Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari during the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Arkansas finds rhythm late

That confidence spread.

Meleek Thomas added 18 points, Malique Ewin finished with 12, and Karter Knox chipped in 11 as Arkansas placed four players in double figures.

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No single run blew the game open, but one stretch midway through the second half tilted the floor.

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Arkansas used an 18-5 run over 6 minutes and 37 seconds to flip a five-point deficit into an eight-point lead.

During that stretch, Tennessee missed eight straight shots and managed only two field goals on its next ten attempts.

The Razorbacks did not rush offense or chase highlights.

They waited for good looks, attacked the rim, and trusted the whistle.

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Arkansas shot 29 of 33 from the free-throw line, quietly building a cushion that Tennessee never fully erased.

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The Volunteers made life difficult with efficient shooting, finishing at 49 percent from the floor.

Amari Evans led Tennessee with 17 points and did not miss a shot, going 7 for 7.

But free throws told a different story. Tennessee went 12 of 23 at the line, leaving points behind that mattered when possessions shrank.

“We stuck to the process,” Arkansas’ coach said. “We just kept competing and playing our game.”

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Tennessee Volunteers guard Amari Evans (1) drives against Arkansas Razorbacks forward Trevon Brazile (7) during the first half at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

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Useful start to conference play

This was not a loud win, but it was a useful one. Arkansas didn’t overwhelm Tennessee with pace or pressure.

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Instead, the Hogs won with composure, spacing, and an understanding of when to slow the game down.

That matters in a league where possessions tighten and whistles get louder in February.

The Razorbacks finished at 42 percent shooting overall, with Acuff the only Arkansas player above 50 percent from the floor.

They didn’tneed perfection. They needed reliability and got it.

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The crowd of more than 19,000 saw a team comfortable being uncomfortable, a team that didn’t panic when Tennessee crept close.

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That calm showed most clearly in Acuff, whose late three settled both the scoreboard and the building.

Arkansas has reached the Sweet 16 in four of the past five seasons, and this game looked like one that fits that blueprint:

  • Balanced scoring.
  • Free throws made.
  • Mistakes absorbed without unraveling.
  • The SEC does not reward flash in January.
  • It rewards teams that handle moments.
  • The Razorbacks handled this one.

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Arkansas will travel to Ole Miss next, carrying a conference win that counts the same as any other but feels heavier because of how it was earned.

Tennessee returns home to face Texas, searching for answers that were more subtle than glaring.

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Key takeaways

  • Darius Acuff Jr.’s career-high 29 points included the decisive three late.
  • Four Razorbacks scored in double figures, easing pressure throughout the game.
  • Arkansas’ edge at the line separated two evenly matched teams.

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RTI Reaction: Tennessee Comes From Behind to Win Double Overtime Thriller Against Texas A&M | Rocky Top Insider

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RTI Reaction: Tennessee Comes From Behind to Win Double Overtime Thriller Against Texas A&M | Rocky Top Insider


Tennessee Basketball
Photo via Tennessee Athletics

Tennessee Basketball fought from behind to earn an 87-82 win over Texas A&M in double overtime on Tuesday night in Knoxville. The Vols trailed for much of the game from the jump, but Tennessee pushed forward and found a way to win in front of its home fans in the Food City Center.

Tennessee spent more than 35 minutes trailing in that game, with much of that coming in consecutive minutes from the opening whistle. The Vols didn’t take the lead until the 5:29 mark in the second half, and still had to fight off a few Aggie runs in order to push the game into extra time. Tennessee and Texas A&M were tied at 71 at the end of regulation and tied at 75 after the first overtime, but the Vols outscored the Aggies by five in the final five minutes to pick up the win.

Tennessee had five double-digit scorers on Tuesday night, led by Nate Ament’s 23 points. The freshman forward also went 9-for-11 from the free-throw line with some clutch makes in the final stretch. Tennessee also outrebounded A&M 60 to 35 during the contest. It wasn’t always pretty, but it’s chalked up as a W in the record book.

After the game, RTI’s Ryan Schumpert and Ric Butler discussed their reactions to the Vols’ win on the RTI postgame show. The guys talked about Tennessee’s slow start, Ament’s big scoring night, impact players, and much more.

More From RTI: Three Quick Takeaways As Tennessee Basketball Finds Away Against Texas A&M

Check out the RTI: Reaction show below:

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RTI: Reaction



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Authorities asking for help with crash investigation in Washington County, Tennessee

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Authorities asking for help with crash investigation in Washington County, Tennessee


Authorities in Washington County, Tennessee, are asking for the public’s help following a crash that happened last month.

The crash took place shortly before 8 a.m. on December 30 in the 200 block of Liberty Hill Road.

Authorities are encouraging anyone with security cameras along that road to view their footage from that morning and look for a spray painted, black 2001 Chevrolet Silverado.

Anyone with information is asked to call (423) 788-1414. Folks can also report information anonymously via Tip411 at wcso.net.

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Tennessee bill rekindles debate over prayer in public schools

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Tennessee bill rekindles debate over prayer in public schools


NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Prayer in public schools has been debated for generations, not over whether students may pray, but over how far government should go in regulating religion in the classroom.

The longstanding question is resurfacing at the Tennessee State Capitol, where Republican state Rep. Gino Bulso has introduced legislation challenging the modern interpretation of the separation of church and state.

Bulso’s bill argues that the principle of separation has drifted from its original intent and now restricts religious expression rather than protecting it. Supporters of the proposal said the result is not neutrality, but discrimination, treating religion as something to be excluded from public life instead of being accommodated.

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“It’s pushing the envelope,” said David Hudson, a constitutional law professor at Belmont University. “He’s going farther than that by suggesting the entire body of Supreme Court decisions after 1947 interpreting the Establishment Clause is wrong.”

The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment states that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion. Courts have long interpreted that language as limiting government involvement in religion while still allowing individuals to freely practice faith.

Supporters of Bulso’s bill argue that recent applications of that principle have gone too far, creating an environment where religious expression is discouraged in public schools.

Opponents disagree, saying the Constitution requires government neutrality, particularly in a religiously diverse society.

“In a pluralistic country, you cannot have one-size-fits-all prayer,” Hudson said. “That’s part of why the separation exists.”

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House Democrats echoed that argument, pointing to what they say is already happening in Tennessee schools. In a statement to News 2, Senate Democratic Caucus Press Secretary Brandon Puttbrese said:

Tennessee public school students are already free to pray and study the Bible. No one is stopping them. In fact, there are student-led Bible study clubs already happening in the district he represents.

Instead of chasing problems that don’t exist, a better use of the legislature’s precious time would be to address the K-12 school funding crisis. Tennessee ranks 47th in public school student spending. That’s a real problem.

⏩ Read today’s top stories on wkrn.com

Newer religion-in-education cases have worked their way through the courts. Hudson said the bill may be designed to test how far that shift could go.

“It may be trying to introduce something that, if passed, is challenged,” he said. “And that would force courts to deal with recent Supreme Court precedent that has lowered the church-state separation barrier.”

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Lawmakers return to session on Tuesday. For the bill to become law, it must be referred to committee, pass hearings and votes in both the Tennessee House and Senate, and ultimately signed by the governor.



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