Arkansas holds off No. 12 seed High Point to reach Sweet 16

Darius Acuff Jr. scores 36 points in 94-88 victory

Mar. 22, 2026 at 4:11am

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No. 4 seed Arkansas survived a scare from 12th-seeded High Point, winning 94-88 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Arkansas forward Darius Acuff Jr. led the way with 36 points and 6 assists, while High Point was paced by 30 points from guard Rob Martin. The Razorbacks will face the winner of Sunday's matchup between top-seeded Arizona and No. 9 seed Utah State in the Sweet 16.

Why it matters

This victory keeps Arkansas' NCAA Tournament run alive as they advance to the Sweet 16. High Point, the 12th seed, put up a strong fight and nearly pulled off the upset, showcasing the parity and unpredictability of the tournament.

The details

Arkansas and High Point engaged in a back-and-forth affair, with 15 lead changes and 6 ties. The Razorbacks were able to make just enough plays down the stretch to hold off the upset-minded Panthers. Acuff Jr. had a dominant performance, while High Point got strong contributions from Martin and Cam'Ron Fletcher.

  • The game was played on Saturday, March 21, 2026 in Portland, Oregon.
  • Arkansas will face the winner of Arizona vs. Utah State in the Sweet 16 on Thursday.

The players

Darius Acuff Jr.

The Arkansas forward scored 36 points and dished out 6 assists to lead his team to the Sweet 16.

Rob Martin

The High Point guard scored a team-high 30 points in the losing effort.

Cam'Ron Fletcher

The High Point forward scored 25 points against the team that recruited him when their coach was at Kentucky.

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What they’re saying

“We must have been a little too confident coming in, but High Point showed they can really play. We're just glad to survive and advance.”

— John Calipari, Arkansas Head Coach

What’s next

Arkansas will face the winner of Sunday's matchup between top-seeded Arizona and No. 9 seed Utah State in the Sweet 16 on Thursday in San Jose, California.

The takeaway

This game highlighted the unpredictability and parity of the NCAA Tournament, as a 12th-seeded team pushed a 4th-seeded power conference team to the brink. Arkansas was able to survive, but the victory underscores how any team can be vulnerable in March Madness.