No. 21 Arkansas Wins a Close Game Against Winthrop
On Tuesday night, Arkansas, ranked 21st, edged out Winthrop with a score of 84-83 at Bud Walton Arena, making an impressive comeback from a five-point deficit with just 90 seconds remaining. The outcome was crucial to avoid what could have been a major upset.
But there’s more to this tale.
After Arkansas (now 4-1) managed to create a turnover and score a vital fast-break layup, tensions escalated dramatically. With only 20 seconds left, chaos ensued, resulting in a brawl that led to technical fouls for two players and the ejection of four others.
Commentator Brett Dolan expressed his surprise, asking his broadcasting partner, Manny Watkins, “What’s the plan here?” That sense of uncertainty was palpable—“Can I just say ‘keep going’? Or is a decision needed here?”
Freshman guard Maryke Thomas, who recorded a career-high 26 points, secured a loose ball and assisted senior Nick Pringle for the game-winning basket with 11.9 seconds to go. But afterward, an incident unfolded as Winthrop’s sophomore Saifeldin Hendawy fell while contesting the layup. In the fray, Pringle got tangled with Winthrop’s senior center, Logan Duncomb.
In an unexpected moment, Duncomb stumbled back and fell, inadvertently dragging Pringle down with him.
As players rushed to the court and officials attempted to diffuse the situation, Pringle, visibly upset, yanked Duncomb’s jersey, bringing him to the ground. Both teams retreated to their benches as referees reviewed the incident for potential flagrant fouls.
“Duncomb kind of had his arm around Pringle’s neck,” Watkins pointed out during the replay analysis. But Dolan countered, rationalizing, “He’s tangled with his teammates, trying to break free and get to the ball.”
After the review, officials determined that both Duncomb and Pringle would receive technical fouls for dead-ball contact, effectively negating each other’s penalties. They also announced the disqualification of four players involved in the skirmish: Arkansas’ DJ Wagner and Isaiah Seeley, along with Winthrop’s Ed Namoko and Farrell Boyogeono.
The official added, “Duncomb also received five fouls and was disqualified.”
Once the dust settled, Arkansas secured their win by forcing a low-percentage shot from Winthrop’s leading scorer, Daylen Berry. Pringle reflected on the chaos, dubbing it “the current heat,” while apologizing to his teammates, acknowledging, “I can’t put my team in that situation.”
Under the guidance of famed coach John Calipari, the Razorbacks have won their last three games and are set to face Jackson State, who is currently 0-3, at home on Friday night.
Calipari expressed disappointment regarding how his team managed the situation. “You come off the bench and don’t understand the stakes? Really? Thankfully, they stepped in, or who knows what the outcome might have been.”
