Basketball (M)

Arkansas Falls to South Carolina, 79-77

Mike Cawood January 29, 2020
Final Stats

FAYETTEVILLE – Mason Jones had 34 points and a career-high 12 rebounds, but Arkansas came up on the short end of a 79-77 decision to South Carolina Wednesday night at Bud Walton Arena.

The Gamecocks (12-8, 4-3 SEC) raced out a to an 8-0 lead to start the game and never trailed the rest of the way. The Razorbacks (15-5, 3-4 SEC) did tie the game at 40-40 early in the second half, but South Carolina answered every run the Hogs made.

Despite it all, Arkansas had the ball with 26 seconds left and a chance to tie or take the lead. However, the shot at the buzzer hit off the front rim.

Both teams missed 16 free throws with South Carolina making 17-of-13 and Arkansas 26-of-40. Both teams had 36 rebounds. The difference in the game was the Gamecocks’ ability to score in transition as USC had 17 fastbreak points compared to Arkansas’ five.

In addition to Jones’ 34 points, Isaiah Joe made five 3-pointers and scored 16 points coming off the bench.

A.J. Lawson led the Gamecocks with 19 points while Jair Bolden and Maik Kotsar added 12 and 10, respectively.

For Jones:
– the 34 points are the second-most of his career.
– the 12 rebounds are a career high.
– the double-double is the second of his career.
– the 15 free throws made are the most by a Razorback since Corliss Williamson sank 17 (of 22) versus Ole Miss on Feb. 18, 1995.
– he is the first Razorback since Bobby Portis to have a 30-10 double-double (Vanderbilt Jan. 19, 2015).
– he is the first Razorback to have at least 34 points and 12 rebounds since Mario Credit (34 and 13) versus Loyola Marymount on Mar. 16, 1989.

Arkansas will travel to Alabama on Saturday (Feb. 1). Tipoff is set for 5 pm and the game will be telecast on SEC Network.

 

FIRST HALF: Arkansas 32 – South Carolina 38

  • Arkansas was down 8-0 and did not score until 15:20 on a Mason Jones fastbreak layup.
  • The Gamecocks led by as many as 11 (18-7) at 10:09.
  • The Razorbacks’ cut their deficit to three (29-26) with 3:54 left.
  • USC went on a 9-2 run to push its lead back to 10 (38-28) at 1:56.
  • Arkansas scored the last four points of the half and trailed by six (38-32) at halftime.
  • Isaiah Joe led Arkansas with 10 first-half points, making three 3-pointers.
  • South Carolina had 19 rebounds to Arkansas’ 18. The Razorbacks had seven offensive rebounds.
  • South Carolina shot 57.1% from the field, compared to Arkansas’ 32.2%.
  • The Razorbacks were just 8-of-15 from the free throw line.
  • Arkansas trailed at the half for the second time at home

SECOND HALF: Arkansas 45 – South Carolina: 41

  • The Razorbacks scored the first six points of the second half to tie the game, 40-40.
  • The Gamecocks answered with a 15-3 run to lead by nine (55-46) at the 14:43 mark.
  • Arkansas answered to get within four only to see USC come back and lead by eight (59-51) at 11:55.
  • The Razorbacks went on another run to get to within three, but USC scored four straight to go back up seven (65-58) at 7:53. That seven-point lead would be the biggest the Gamecocks would hold the rest of the game.
  • Arkansas got to within two on four occasions over the final 6:49, including a one-point deficit (78-77) after a pair of Mason Jones free throws with 28 seconds left.
  • South Carolina’s Jermaine Couisnard only converted 1-of-2 free throws with 26 seconds left to put USC up two (79-77).
  • Arkansas ran a play and South Carolina deflected the ball out of bounds with 7.9 seconds left. Arkansas got a shot in the left corner but could not convert as time expired.

GAME NOTES

  • Arkansas’ starting lineup was Jimmy Whitt (G) – Jalen Harris (G) – Mason Jones (G) – Adrio Bailey (F) – Reggie Chaney (F) for the second time this season.
  • South Carolina won the tip for the 10th time in 20 games this season. Arkansas is 7-3 in such games.
  • USC’s Justin Minaya scored the first points of the game, a free throw at 18:01. Mason Jones scored Arkansas’ first points, a fastbreak layup at 15:20. It was his eighth time to score the team’s first points of the game this season.
  • Isaiah Joe returned to the lineup after missing the TCU game. He came off the bench for the first time in his career (53rd career game).
  • Joe has made a 3-pointer in 343 straight games, and at least one in 51 of his 53 career games. He has made at least three 3-pointers 34 times in his career and has made at least five 3’s in a game 15 times.
  • This was the Razorbacks’ second, two-point loss of the season (lost 79-77). Arkansas’ five losses this season have been by a total of 25 points.

For more­­ information on Arkansas Men’s Basketball, follow @RazorbackMBB on Twitter.

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