Razorbacks' NIT Run Ends at Indiana

Mike Cawood March 23, 2019

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – For the second time this season, Arkansas and Indiana battled to the end with the home team squeezing out a victory on each occasion.

In November, Arkansas won 73-72 in Bud Walton Arena on a Mason Jones free throw with 2.5 seconds left. On Saturday, the Hoosiers claimed a 63-60 victory in the second round of the National Invitation Tournament at Assembly Hall. The Razorbacks, seeded fifth in the NIT, end the 2018-19 season with an 18-16 record while #1 seed Indiana improves to 19-15.

Arkansas was down seven with 4:25 left in the game but held Indiana scoreless until six seconds were left to play to set up the exciting finish.

Jones made two free throws for Arkansas with 6.3 seconds left to make it a one-point deficit, 61-60. Devonte Green was fouled and made two from the charity stripe with 6.1 seconds remaining for a 3-point Hoosier cushion (63-60). Jalen Harris took the ensuing inbounds pass and his jumper just inside midcourt missed as time expired.

Desi Sills scored a career-high 18 points, going 4-of-6 from 3-point range, for the Razorbacks and Isaiah Joe tied the SEC record for 3-pointers made in a season by a freshman (113), moving into a tie for fourth on the NCAA list among freshmen as well. Joe finished with 12 points.

Green led the Hoosiers with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Juwon Morgan (15) and De’Ron Davis (10) each scored double figures.

FIRST HALF: Arkansas 28 – Indiana 30

Arkansas scored the first six points until Indiana’s Juwan Morgan scored at 16:30.
Arkansas led by nine (16-7) at the 12-minute media timeout before Indiana went on an 8-0 run to make it a one-point game. Desi Sills ended the run with a layup for the Razorbacks.
Indiana tied the game, 25-25, on a free throw by Morgan at 4:34. Indiana took its first lead, 28-25, on a Devonte Green 3-pointer at 2:39. It marked the first time Arkansas trailed in the NIT, leading from wire-to-wire at Providence.
Arkansas tied the game, 28-28, on Desi Sills’ second 3-pointer of the game.
Indiana made two free throws with three seconds left to take a 30-28 lead at the break.
Desi Sills led the Razorbacks with 10 points.
Gabe Osabuohien blocked three shots in the first half which is a career high.

SECOND HALF: Arkansas 32 – Indiana 33

Desi Sills hit a 3-pointer at 16:32 to give Arkansas its first lead of the second half, 40-37.
Arkansas went up six, 43-37, at 15:57 on a Jalen Harris layup. The Hoosiers answered with a 10-0 run to grab a four-point lead, 47-43, at 11:59.
Isaiah Joe hit a 3-pointer at 11:30 in the second half, giving him 113 for the season. Already the school leader in 3’s made in season, that tied the SEC record for 3’s made in a season by a freshman and moves him into a tie for fourth on the NCAA list for 3’s made in a season by a freshman.
Joe’s 3-pointer combined with a Jalen Harris jumper in the lane put Arkansas up one, 48-47.
The lead switched hands a couple of times, the last coming at 8:38 when Indiana’s Green hit a 3-pointer to put the Hoosiers up one, 52-51. From that point, Indiana would not relinquish the lead
Arkansas was down two, 56-54, with 6:58 left after a Reggie Chaney jumper. However, Indiana went on a 6-0 run over the next two minutes to go up seven, the Hoosiers largest lead of the game.
Arkansas held Indiana scoreless for over four minutes to make it a one-point game with 6.3 seconds left.

GAME NOTES

For the second straight game, Arkansas’ starters were Desi Sills (G) – Isaiah Joe (G) – Jalen Harris (G) – Adrio Bailey (F) – Gabe Osabuohien (F). Joe and Harris are the only Razorbacks to start all 34 games this season.
Indiana controlled the tip. For the second straight game, Adrio Bailey scored the first points, a jumper on the right wing at the 19:02 mark.
Desi Sills made a career-high four 3-pointers in scoring a career-high 18 points. As a starter (final eight games of the season), Sills averaged 10.0 points and shot an impressive 64.3 percent from 3-point range (18-of-28). In fact, Sills only made 11 3-pointers (11-of-35 – .31.4 percent) in his first 26 games coming off the bench.
Isaiah Joe finished with 113 3-pointers this season. He:
Set Arkansas record for 3-pointers made – previous was 102 by Scotty Thurman in 1995
Set Arkansas record for 3-point attempts (273) – previous was 249 by Pat Bradley in 1999
Set Arkansas record for 3-pointers made in SEC games only (60) – previous was 52 by Anthlon Bell (2016) and Jannero Pargo (2002)
Tied an SEC freshman record for 3-pointers made in a season – tied Kentucky’s Jamal Murray in 2016
Set an SEC freshman record for 3-pointers made per game 3.32 (113 in 34 games) – previous was 3.0 (93 in 31 games) Tennessee’s Chris Lofton in 2005
Became just the fourth freshman to lead the SEC in 3-point field goal percentage (Alabama’s Terrence Meade in 2000, Tennessee’s Chris Lofton in 2005 and Kentucky’s Daron Lamb in 2011).
Ties for fourth in NCAA history for 3-pointers made in a season by a freshman
Ranked second among all NCAA freshmen in 2018-19 in 3-poniters made (3.32), total 3’s made (113) and 3-point field goal percentage (.414)
Jalen Harris had seven assists and just one turnover. He finished the season with 189 assists, seventh on the school’s single-season list. Harris had 16 games this season with one or fewer turnovers (seven with zero and nine with one).
Arkansas finished with at least 18 wins for the seventh time in the eight-year Mike Anderson era. Anderson has won at least 18 in 15 of his 17 years as a head coach. He is one of four active NCAA Division I head coaches to have at least 15 years of head coaching experience and never experience a losing season.
This was the 12th Razorbacks game that was decided by five points or less.