Arkansas holds off Illinois 73-63 with big defensive effort

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DES MOINES, Iowa — Arkansas survived some anxious moments in the second half against an Illinois team that wouldn't go away and held on to beat the Illini 73-63 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Devo Davis and Ricky Council IV scored 16 points apiece to lead the eighth-seeded Razorbacks, who used relentless defense and rebounding to build big leads but couldn't get comfortable until the final minute. Arkansas moves to a second-round game Saturday against top-seeded Kansas in the South Region. Terrence Shannon Jr. had 20 points for the Illini. They lost in the first round for the first time in five tournament appearances since 2011.