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Published Jan 11, 2020
Joe explodes in 2nd half, leads Arkansas rally over Ole Miss, 76-72
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Andrew Hutchinson  •  HawgBeat
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Isaiah Joe took over in the second half and carried Arkansas to a bounce-back win Saturday night.

The sharp-shooter from Fort Smith made seven three-pointers and scored 34 points, matching a career high, to help the Razorbacks rally from a double-digit deficit and beat Ole Miss 76-72 at The Pavilion in Oxford, Miss.

Most of Joe’s production came when it mattered most, as he scored 26 points in the game’s final 15 minutes - all after the Rebels took an 11-point lead. His two free throws with 2:33 remaining gave Arkansas its first lead since the first half and then he came up with a steal and fast break layup on the ensuing possession.

Ole Miss had a chance to tie or take the lead in the final 30 seconds, even coming up with an offensive rebound, before Joe stepped in front of a pass for another steal. He and Jimmy Whitt Jr. each made a pair of free throws to ice the victory.

Coming off a heartbreaking loss - just their second of the season - at LSU on Wednesday, the Razorbacks improved to 13-2 overall and 2-1 in SEC play.

After a slow start in that loss, Joe wasted no time getting things going Saturday. He knocked down a couple of three-pointers from the corner in the game’s first four minutes as the Razorbacks built a 10-2 lead.

Arkansas’ defense prevented the Rebels from making a shot from the floor until Sammy Hunter threw down a dunk nearly six minutes into the game and forced them into a cold 2-of-11 start.

However, the Razorbacks couldn’t extend their lead and - much like their trip to Baton Rouge earlier in the week - saw it evaporate as Breein Tyree heated up.

The Rebels’ star guard missed his first shots, but his three-pointer just inside the 10-minute mark made it 15-11. That started a stretch in which Tyree scored 10 of Ole Miss’ 12 points, capped by a pair of free throws to pull his team within one.

A turnover by Mason Jones led to a fast break on which Devontae Shuler was fouled. He knocked down both of his free throws to give Ole Miss the lead.

That was the first of seven lead changes over three minutes before the Rebels took control of the game with a 7-0 run to end the half and take a 33-27 lead into halftime.

During that stretch, Arkansas missed seven shots - including a couple by Jeantal Cylla. The graduate transfer had played just one minute in the previous three games, but was the first player off the bench as Eric Musselman searched for answers behind Adrio Bailey.

Cylla didn’t take advantage of the extended playing time. Despite grabbing a team-high five rebounds, he missed both of his shots and made just one of four free throws in 11 minutes.

The Rebels broke out of their early slump by making 8 of 17 (47.1 percent) shots in the final 10 minutes of the half - with Tyree scoring all 12 of his first-half points during the span - and then carried it through halftime.

Five minutes into the second half, Ole Miss extended its lead to 11. That’s when Joe - who had missed five straight shots after making his first three - got going again.

Over a four-minute span, the sophomore knocked down a jump shot and three three-pointers - the last of which he was fouled on and turned into a four-point play by making the free throw.

That pulled the Razorbacks within 53-49 with 10:33 left and they had a couple of chances to make it a one-possession game, but failed to do so.

It took another five minutes before they finally dug out of that hole. Joe made back-to-back three-pointers, with the second turning into a five-point possession when Bailey was fouled under the basket and made both of his free throws.

That tied the game, but it wasn’t until Joe’s aforementioned free throws at the 2:33 mark that Arkansas regained the lead. He ended up scoring 14 of the Razorbacks’ final 20 points.

Joe’s 34 total points - which came on 11 of 18 shooting, including 7 of 13 beyond the arc - matched his career high previously set against Florida International last season. It was his third career 30-point game, as he also dropped 33 on Texas Southern in November.

Arkansas returns to the friendly confines of Bud Walton Arena next week. Before the highly anticipated matchup with Kentucky on Saturday, though, the Razorbacks must get by Vanderbilt on Wednesday.

The Commodores - who have lost 20 consecutive regular-season SEC games - will be without the SEC’s leading scorer, Aaron Nesmith (23.0 ppg), because of a stress fracture in his foot. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and the game will be televised on the SEC Network.

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