FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Josh Hunter hit his first-career three-pointer to send the game to overtime, but the Razorbacks overpowered Appalachian State University men's basketball in the extra frame to secure an 81-72 win.
The Mountaineers (2-2) clawed back from a 20-point deficit to tie the game at 51-51 with just under nine minutes to play. A Kellen Brand layup then gave ASU its only lead of the night at 53-51 before the Razorbacks took off on a 10-5 run to regain a seven point advantage with 3:28 to play in the second half. In the final minute, the Mountaineers pulled within three on a Marcus Wright three-point play and a Donald Sims trey to earn a chance to tie on the final possession.
Sims received the ball at the point with seven seconds on the clock but was quickly double-teamed. He found an unguarded Hunter on the right wing, and the forward stepped back to the line to take the tying shot with 5.6 ticks remaining on the clock.
ASU then tightly covered Rotnei Clarke, whose last-second rimmed out to lead to overtime, tied at 68 apiece.
Arkansas scored the first seven points in the extra frame and scored its final six points at the free throw line to ice the nine-point win.
Hunter collected his first double-double of the season with 11 points and 11 rebounds while Sims led the Mountaineers with 17 points.
Clarke averaged 33.5 points entering the contest, but was held by Brand to a modest 16 points on the night.
Brand fouled out of the game in the second half with 13 points, four rebounds and three assists.
The Razorbacks (2-1) held a commanding 22-11 rebounding edge at halftime, but the Mountaineers owned the glass the rest of the way, finishing with a 39-38 advantage. Behind Hunter's 11, Isaac Butts grabbed eight boards while Sims and Wright each added four.
Sims, who scored 24 points against Arkansas in a win his freshman year, connected on 5-of-9 three-pointers and added a pair of assists. Butts battled foul trouble throughout the contest and scored seven points on 3-of-10 shooting.
Marshawn Powell led UA with 29 points, including a three-pointer to open the extra period. The forward was 13-of-20 from the field with seven rebounds and two of his team's seven blocks.
After shooting a paltry 23.5 percent from the floor in the first half, the Mountaineers connected on 54.8 percent in the second-half comeback. The shooters cooled off again in overtime as the team finished at 36.1 percent for the night.
The Apps close out the road trip at Louisville on Monday.
