Bobby Portis found a perfect way to atone for an unfathomably bad decision at the end of regulation Thursday night against Alabama.
The Arkansas forward beat the Crimson Tide in overtime with a tip-in at the buzzer.
With the score tied at 91 and just a few seconds left in overtime, Arkansas guard Ky Madden dribbled through heavy traffic and hoisted a heavily contested runner that missed the rim by two feet. That would have forced a second overtime except Alabama's Shannon Hale got caught watching the ball and failed to block out Portis, enabling the 6-foot-11 sophomore to swoop in to give the Razorbacks a 93-91 victory.
Portis' game-winning shot ensured Arkansas would avoid a three-game losing streak and a second straight home loss. The Razorbacks (14-4, 3-2) were coming off back-to-back losses to Tennessee and Ole Miss, raising questions over whether they're consistent enough to lay claim to the title of the SEC's biggest challenger to top-ranked Kentucky.*
Arkansas probably wouldn't have needed overtime had Portis not inexplicably left his feet and fouled Alabama's Michael Kessens in the paint with the Razorbacks up three in the final seconds of regulation. That enabled Kessens to score a layup and a free throw to force overtime and give the Crimson Tide (12-6, 2-3) a chance to get above .500 in league play.
It didn't happen because Michael Qualls scored eight of his game-high 30 points in overtime and Portis asserted himself at just the right time.

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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
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