Arkansas 77, Auburn 71

Arkansas 77, Auburn 71

Published Feb. 25, 2012 11:34 p.m. ET

Rickey Scott scored 22 points and Arkansas picked up its first road win in nine tries this season, beating Auburn 77-71 on Saturday.

Mardracus Wade added 18 points for the Razorbacks (18-11, 6-8 Southeastern Conference), who trailed by as many as 17 points in the first half. B.J. Young and Brandon Mitchell each scored 10.

Allen Payne and Frankie Sullivan each had 15 points for Auburn (14-14, 4-10). Kenny Gabriel scored 14 points and Rob Chubb added 11.

The Tigers shot 54.2 percent (13 of 24) from the line - a deficiency that was costly down the stretch after Arkansas retook the lead late.

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Auburn played without guards Varez Ward and Chris Denson, the team's third and fourth leading scorers.

Ward and Denson, who injured his knee against Florida on Tuesday, were both not on the bench for the game. Tigers coach Tony Barbee said after the game both players are suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules.

After trailing by double figures for most of the first half, Arkansas cut the Auburn lead to 41-37 on a 3-pointer from Wade with 19:41 left to play.

The Tigers responded with eight straight points over the next 1:54, pulling ahead with a 49-37 advantage on a Chubb runner in the lane with 17:20 left.

Arkansas answered right back with a 16-5 run, closing the gap to 54-53 at the 11:31 mark on a jumper by Julysses Nobles, his first basket of the game.

Nobles struck again, from 3-point range, to give Arkansas the lead at 63-62 with 5:52 to go. It was the Razorbacks' first lead since 5-4 at the 18:35 mark of the first half.

The teams traded the lead four times over the next four minutes, until Young hit a runner in the lane to put Arkansas up 71-70 with 2:05 remaining.

Young, who scored 52 points in the two previous games, was quiet for most of the game until scoring six straight points to vault Arkansas into the lead.

Auburn had four chances from the free throw line to cut into the Razorbacks lead down the stretch but hit only one, and Arkansas closed out the game.

Auburn spread the ball around early, with all five of its starters hitting a shot in the first 3:52.

Gabriel scored five straight points - on a deep 3-pointer and a breakaway layup off a turnover - to polish off a 19-4 run over 5:21 that built the Tigers' lead to 21-9 with 12:14 left in the first half.

The Tigers hit 14 of their first 20 shots, including 5-of-8 from beyond the arc, extending their lead to 35-18 on a Sullivan layup at the 6:55 mark before Arkansas could start cutting into the deficit.

The Razorbacks closed the half on a 16-6 run, with 14 of their 16 points coming from Scott or Wade, to go into the break trailing 41-34.

Scott scored 18 in the first half on 7-of-9 shooting, and Wade added 10.

Sullivan and Gabriel each had 10 in the first half for the Tigers.

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