Razorbacks Fall in Season Finale at Texas A&M

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Texas A&M used a 12-2 run to take a 3-point advantage at halftime and never relinquished the lead to hand Arkansas a 77-69 loss in the teams’ regular-season finale Saturday afternoon at Reed Arena.

The Aggies turned their 3-point lead into a 10 (60-50) with 8:54 left in the game. The Razorbacks trimmed the deficit to five (65-60) on a 3-pointer by Isaiah Joe. However, A&M answered with a 6-0 run – making four straight free throws and getting a dunk by Quneton Jackson – to push its lead to 11 (71-60) to put the game out of reach.

The loss spoiled Mason Jones’ ninth 30-point game of the season while Joe added 22. Jones and Joe combined to make all 14 of Arkansas’ 3-pointers, including a career-high eight from Jones. The 14 triples were a season high and the most since the Razorbacks sank 16 versus Mississippi State on Jan. 9, 2016.

Jimmy Whitt Jr., contributed 10 points as he Jones and Joe combined for 62 of the Razorbacks’ 69 points.

Next up for Arkansas is the SEC Tournament in Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. Arkansas will be seeded 11th and will face #14 seed Vanderbilt at approximately 8:30 pm in game two of the opening day on Wednesday, March 11. Game one of the tourney will Ole Miss and Georgia at 6 pm.

FIRST HALF: Arkansas 30 – Texas A&M 33

  • Texas AM scored the first points of the game, a 3-pointer, but Arkansas scored the next five to lead 5-3 at the first media timeout.
  • A&M made a run, but Isaiah Joe and Mason Jones hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give Arkansas a 14-12 lead at the second media timeout.
  • Arkansas led by as many as seven twice, the second (28-21) on a running one-hander by Isaiah Joe with 3:37 left.
  • Texas A&M closed the half on a 12-2 run to lead 33-30 at halftime.
  • Isaiah Joe led Arkansas with 10 first-half points.
  • Texas A&M outrebounded the Razorbacks 24-9 in the first half.

SECOND HALF: Arkansas 39 – Texas A&M 44

  • Savion Flagg made a 3-pointer at the 8:54 mark to give Texas A&M its first double-digit lead (60-50).
  • Isaiah Joe made two triples and Mason Jones one to cut the deficit to five (65-60) with 4:10 remaining.
  • The Aggies answered with a 6-0 run to put the game out of reach.
  • Mason Jones scored 21 second-half points, making 6-of-8 from the field and 5-of-7 from 3-point range.
  • Arkansas outrebounded A&M, 16-15, in the second half.

GAME NOTES

  • Arkansas’ starting lineup was Jimmy Whitt (G) – Isaiah Joe (G) – Mason Jones (G) – Ethan Henderson (F) – Adrio Bailey (F) for the fourth straight game.
  • Arkansas won the tip, the 15th time in 31 games this season. Arkansas is 11-4 in such games.
  • A&M’s Wendell Mitchell scored the first points of the game, a 3-pointer at 18:46. Jimmy Whitt Jr. scored the Razorbacks’ first points, a jumper in the lane at 17:49. It was the 10th time Whitt scored Arkansas’ first points and the Hogs are 7-3 in such games.
  • Arkansas committed 16 turnovers, its most since committing 16 versus South Carolina on Jan. 29. It ended a streak of four games of single-digit turnovers.
  • Not only did Arkansas make a season-high 14 3-pointers, it attempted a season-high 32 while the 40 percent shooting tied for the second-best effort by the Hogs in an SEC game this season.
  • Isaiah Joe was 2-of-2 at the free throw line to extend his streak to 32 straight since returning from knee surgery.
  • Isaiah Joe is 43-of-45 from the line in SEC games and his 95.6 FT% versus league competition is a school record. (The previous school record was 94.1% held jointly by Pat Bradley and Darrell Walker (each 32-of-34).
  • Isaiah Joe record update:
    ^ Free throw percentage in a season (SEC): 95.6% – school record
    ^ 3-pointers made in a career: 203 – 7th
    ^ 3-pointers made in a career (SEC): 105 – 5th
    ^ 3-pointers made in a season: 90 – 9th
    ^ 3-pointers made in a season (SEC): 45 – 10th
  • Mason Jones record update:
    ^ Free throws made in a season: 123 – school record
    ^ Free throws made in a season (SEC): 146 – school record
    ^ Points in a season: 661 – 7th, record is 786
    ^ Points in a season (SEC): 424 – school record
    ^ Points in a career: 1,124 – 30th
    ^ Most 30-point games: 9 – 2nd
  • Jimmy Whitt Jr., led the team with four assists, Desi Sills and Jalen Harris added three. Whitt, Adrio Bailey and Ethan Henderson each had five rebounds.
  • Ethan Henderson had a career-high four blocked shots. Bailey added three. Henderson entered the game with nine blocked shots for the season and 11 for his career.

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