FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas overcame yet another slow start to pick up a much needed win Wednesday night.
As bad as they were at the beginning of the game, the Razorbacks closed just as strong, using a 12-1 run over the final four minutes to pull away for a 72-60 win over Missouri. It snapped a four-game losing streak and improved them to 11-7 overall and 2-4 in SEC play.
“I was proud of the effort of our guys,” head coach Mike Anderson said. “Even when we were down 13 early on, it was like you have a nightmare (and) you try to get out of it.”
For most of the first half, Arkansas seemed to be going down the same path it had taken during its skid. Scoring only two points in the first eight minutes of the game and trailing 14-2, Desi Sills came up with a steal and finished a fast break layup.
Up until that point, the Razorbacks were an ice-cold 1 of 12 from the floor. They managed to 53.2 percent the rest of the way, which helped them dig out of the early hole.
Unlike the losses to Florida and LSU, Arkansas actually got over the hump after erasing the large deficit. The teams exchanged three-pointers early in the second half, with Mason Jones putting Arkansas up for good with 17:41 left.
It was still no more than a two-possession game, though, for the next 14 minutes. The Razorbacks were up by only three points when Jeremiah Tilmon fouled out at the 3:32 mark, but that’s when they pulled away.
Isaiah Joe knocked down a pair of three-pointers sandwiched around a Reggie Chaney layup. The spurt was aided by two Missouri turnovers. The Razorbacks forced 24 turnovers in the game, matching a season high set against UC Davis and Montana State.
“We knew we were getting into their legs and they were getting a little winded, so we had to turn it up a notch on the defensive end,” Joe said. “They went a long time without scoring and we were able to capitalize off of it.”
By finishing with a team-high 23 points on 7-of-12 shooting beyond the arc, Joe continued his hot shooting after a dreadful start to SEC play. After shooting 29.4 percent on three-pointers and averaging just 7.3 points in Arkansas’ first three conference games, he’s shooting 50 percent from deep and averaging 19 points over the last three games.
“I’ve obviously watched him on film and he’s a talented player,” Missouri head coach Cuonzo Martin said. “But he’s better than I thought he was when you see him in person because he’s moving, he’s long, he can ball handle, he can shoot the ball, he’s active.”
The Razorbacks also got another double-double out of star big man Daniel Gafford, his first since the SEC opener against Texas A&M and eighth of the season. He scored 13 points and pulled down 10 rebounds.
Jalen Harris also had arguably his best game since that road win against the Aggies, scoring 10 points and dishing out six assists with no turnovers. He added three steals, as well.
“I thought he was in control and that’s what has to take place,” Anderson said. “When it’s going erratic, you have to have somebody that settles them down, on offense and defense. I thought he grew up a little bit tonight.”
Finally back in the win column, Arkansas hits the road to play No. 14 Texas Tech in the Big 12/SEC Challenge on Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN2.
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