The fight that has been lacking in many of the Arkansas basketball blowout losses made an appearance Wednesday night with the season on the line.

The 12-seed Razorbacks (16-16) erased a 15-point deficit in the second half and rallied past 13-seed Vanderbilt 90-85 in overtime in the first round of the SEC Tournament. Arkansas will face No. 5 South Carolina on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. in the second round.

Arkansas nearly squandered its hard work coming back, with Vanderbilt going on an 8-2 run at the end of regulation to force the extra period. Ezra Majon finished with 29 points four the Commodores (9-23) and made a buzzer-beater to send the game to overtime.

Still, Arkansas prevailed by winning the final five minutes. Here are four observations from the Hogs' victory in its SEC Tournament opener.

Khalif Battle provides the final push for Arkansas basketball

Battle struggled mightily in the first half, but he finished with a team-high 24 points and scored seven in overtime to push Arkansas to victory. He made a pair of clutch layups and hit three free throws in the extra period.

Battle had three turnovers and just three points with no made field goals over the first 20 minutes, but Arkansas' most reliable scorer rose to the occasion in the second half and helped send the Hogs into the second round.

Tramon Mark wills Arkansas basketball back from early s

Mark was held scoreless on just one field goal attempt in the first half, but the the Razorbacks made a conscious effort to get their best player more involved after halftime. Mark scored the Hogs' first six points of the second period and finishing with 18.

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He had a vintage performance, making tough layups and contested jumpers. The Hogs had a different energy with Mark serving as the fulcrum of the offense.

Defensive adjustment sparks comeback

Arkansas couldn’t cut into Vanerbilt’s double-digit lead over the first few minutes of the second half, but the Razorbacks began their rally with an aggressive move from coach Eric Musselman.

The Razorbacks sent a second guard to double-team Manjon on nearly every offensive possession. Arkansas was comfortable playing at a slight disadvantage as long as Manjon didn’t have the ball in his hands. The strategy helped spark an 8-0 run that trimmed the Commodores' lead down to 51-44 with 15:49 remaining.

From there, the Hogs slowly chipped away and took their first lead of the second half on a 3-pointer by Mark with 7:57 remaining. Musselman ditched the double-team before the midpoint of the second half, but its effectiveness in a short spurt got Arkansas going.

Trevon Brazile and Devo Davis hit enough shots

It’s been a trying year for Brazile and Davis, who were expected to be the pillars of the program this season. Both have missed significant time through either injury or personal absence, but they rose to the occasion against Vanderbilt.

A 3-pointer from Brazile with 2:54 remaining in overtime gave Arkansas an 83-80 lead it would not relinquish. Brazile finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds, making three 3-pointers. Davis made a pair of triples and had 12 points to go along with three assists.

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Arkansas basketball rallies, survives in OT to knock off Vanderbilt in SEC Tournament