Basketball (M)

Harris Lifts Hogs Late vs. Ole Miss

Mike Cawood March 2, 2019
Final Stats Harris Postgame Interview on SEC Network

FAYETTEVILLE – Down three (73-70) with 1:07 left in the game, Jalen Harris assisted on a Daniel Gafford dunk with 43 seconds left and later hit a lay-up with 5.9 seconds on the clock to lift Arkansas to a 74-73 victory over Ole Miss Saturday afternoon at Bud Walton Arena.

Gabe Osabuohien sealed the win with a steal to put the perfect cap on a weekend that the University celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Razorbacks winning 1994 National Championship.

Harris scored 10 points and added nine assists with just one turnover in 32 minutes of action.

Ole Miss’s Breein Tyree scored 20 points, including 11-of-the-last-13 over the final 7:36 for the Rebels to provide the three-point lead with 1:07 left. To Arkansas’ credit, the Razorbacks answered each time to keep is a one-possession game. In fact, the game was tight throughout and saw 21 lead changes, including Harris’ game-winner.

Tyree’s final basket came with 1:07 left for a 3-point Ole Miss lead. Harris quickly moved the ball up the court and threw an alley-oop pass to Gafford for a dunk to put the Razorbacks down one, 73-72, with 43 seconds left. On the defensive end, Osabuohien poked the ball away from Tyree. Isaiah Joe got the loose ball and threw it to Gafford. The ball was knocked loose and Gafford dove on the ground to force a jump ball and give Arkansas possession with 18 seconds left.

After a timeout, Harris worked the clock and drove to the basket in an attempt to get Gafford the ball. However, the lane opened up and Harris kissed the basketball high off the glass for the game-winner.

Mason Jones scored 16, second-half points to keep the Razorbacks in the game, sinking 4-of-5 from 3-point range in the half. Jones finished with a game-high 22, going 6-of-8 from long range. Gafford had 17 points and Osabuohien contributed four assists and three steals.

Arkansas has two regular-season games remaining. First, the Razorbacks will travel to Vanderbilt to play the Commodores on Wednesday (March 6) at 7:30 pm (CT)/8:30 pm (ET). Second, Arkansas wraps the 2018-19 regular-season by hosting Alabama on Saturday (March 9). Tip-off at Bud Walton Arena is set for 5 pm.

FIRST HALF: Arkansas 34 – Ole Miss 35

  • Ole Miss started hot, but Arkansas got on track with a 7-0 run to lead 11-10. Daniel Gafford scored six points, making 3-of-his-first-4, and Mason Jones hit a 3-pointer to provide the one-point lead.
  • Each time Ole Miss made a run, Arkansas was able to answer and was down four, 31-27, at the four-minute media timeout.
  • The Razorbacks made another run to close the first half with Mason Jones draining a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to one, 35-34.
  • Daniel Gafford led the way with 11 points.

SECOND HALF:

  • Arkansas opened the second half with Daniel Gafford taking a charge and Jalen Harris getting a lay-up to give the Razorbacks a 36-35 lead.
  • The largest lead of the game was four points after a Mason Jones 3-pointer at the 8:17 mark. It was the second of back-to-back triples for Jones.
  • After Jones’ trey at 8:17, Tyree answered with a 3-pointer to start his run of scoring 11 of the Rebels’ final 13 points of the game.

GAME NOTES

  • Arkansas’ starters were Desi Sills (G) – Isaiah Joe (G) – Jalen Harris (G) – Daniel Gafford (F) – Gabe Osabuohien (F). It is the third straight game for this lineup. This also marks the third career starts for Sills and Osabuohien. Joe, Harris and Gafford have started all 29 games this season.
  • Arkansas controlled the tip. Ole Miss scored the first points as Devontae Shuler made two free throws at the 19:07 mark. Arkansas’s first points came on a Daniel Gafford dunk at 17:49 off a Jalen Harris assist.
  • The 21 lead changes were the most in an Arkansas game this season. The previous most was 16 in back-to-back wins over Austin Peay and Texas A&M.
  • Arkansas is 48-33 versus Ole Miss, including a 16-11 mark in Fayetteville. Besides Texas A&M, Ole Miss is Arkansas’ most common SEC opponent. Arkansas has won 5-of-the-last-6 in the series versus Ole Miss. The Rebels’ lone win was an 84-67 decision in Oxford last month.
  • For the eighth time in the last 10 games, Arkansas committed 15 or less turnovers, finishing with 13.
  • For the eighth time this season, Arkansas dished out at least 20 assists, finishing with an even 20.
  • Also, for the eighth time this season, over 70 percent of the Razorbacks points came directly off an assist. Arkansas has 27 made baskets on 20 assists for a percentage of 74.1.
  • Mason Jones led the team in scoring for the ninth time.
  • This was the 14th game Jalen Harris has committed one or fewer turnovers (seven with zero, seven with one). It was the 16th time Harris has dished out at least five assists.
  • Isaiah Joe hit two 3-pointers to give him an even 100 for the season. He tied Rotnei Clarke, who made 100 in 2010, for second on the school’s all-time list. Scotty Thurman owns the school record with 102 treys in 1995.
  • Joe took sole possession of the school record for most 3’s made in league play, now with 54.
  • Daniel Gafford’s dunk with 43 seconds left was the 125th by the Razorbacks this season, breaking the record in the Mike Anderson era.
  • Arkansas took two more charges, marking the 64th this season. Arkansas only drew 47 charges last season. The Razorbacks has drawn at least one charge in 17 straight games and a total of 40 over the span.

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

Chaney’s Steal and Jam

Gafford’s Big Block

Gafford’s Alley-Oop Jam

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