Trevon Brazile had 16 points, seven rebounds and four blocks, Johnell Davis scored six key points in the final 40 seconds and No. 9 seed Arkansas nearly blew a 20-point lead before holding off No. 16 seed South Carolina 72-68 to begin the SEC Tournament.

Arkansas holds a 23-18 edge in the all-time series against South Carolina, but the Gamecocks have won the last three meetings, including a victory in last year’s SEC Tournament. The Razorbacks have a rich SEC Tournament history, having won the championship in 2000 and finishing as runner-up six times.