Joe’s hot streak paces Hogs to 82-51 win, fourth straight to open season

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas was 0-of-13 from 3-point range in the first half, but sophomore Isaiah Joe sank six triples in the second half as part of a 33-point effort in an 82-51 victory over Texas Southern Tuesday night at Bud Walton Arena in game two of the Collegiate Hoops Roadshow 0 Razorback Regional.

Joe’s 33 points were one shy of a career high and the Fort Smith native pumped in 29 second-half points He added five steals, one shy of his career high.

Also leading the Hogs was graduate senior Jimmy Whitt, Jr., who posted his sixth career double-double by scoring 17 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

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Adrio Bailey finished with five blocked shots and Reggie Chaney, who saw his first action of the season, tied his career high with four steals.

Texas Southern, with 24 first-half points and 51 total points, was the first team in four tries to score over 20 points in the first half and score 50 points in a game on the Razorbacks.

However, Arkansas held the Tigers to 34.5 percent shooting from the field and 18.2 percent from 3-point range (2-of-11).

No team has made more than two 3-pointers in a game versus Arkansas and opponents are a combined 8-of-69 (11.6 percent). Arkansas’ defense also forced 24 turnovers and blocked 13 shots.

Arkansas returns to action Friday (Nov. 22) versus South Dakota. Tipoff at Bud Walton Arena is set for 8 pm.

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FIRST HALF: Arkansas 37-Texas Southern 24

• Whitt scored the first points of the game, but Arkansas trailed for just the second time this year, 3-2. The Razorbacks answered with a 9-0 run and an overall run of 13-2 to lead 15-5.

• Arkansas surrendered 20 points in the first half for the first time this season. However, the 37 points by Arkansas are the second-most by the Razorbacks this season, trailing the 39 Arkansas scored in the first half versus Rice.

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• Whitt was 5-of-6 from the field and led Arkansas with 11 first-half points.

• The Razorbacks led by 13 despite going 0-of-14 from 3-point range in the first half.

• Arkansas’ defense came away with seven blocked shots in the first half, including four by Adrio Bailey. The Razorbacks also forced 12 first-half turnovers thanks to three first-half steals by Reggie Chaney.

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SECOND HALF: Arkansas outscored the Tigers 45-27 in the second half

• Isaiah Joe opened the second half with a 3-point basket, extending the Razorbacks’ streak to 1,015 games with a triple – the fourth-best streak in the NCAA.

• Arkansas opened the second half on a 17-4 run, thanks to three 3’s by Joe, to take a 26-point lead (54-28 at the 14:41 mark).

• Arkansas led by at least 20 the rest of the second half.

• Joe finished with 29 second-half points, making 8-of-13 from the field — 6-of-9 from 3-point range — and making 7-of-9 at the free throw line. Four of his game-high five steals came in the second half.

• Arkansas only had four second-half turnovers (10 for the game) and, after allowing nine offensive rebounds in the first half, only allowed three in the second.

PHOTO BY ANDY HODGES | HITTHATLINE.COM

Game notes

• Arkansas’ starting lineup was Jimmy Whitt (G) – Isaiah Joe (G) – Desi Sills (G) – Mason Jones (G) – Adrio Bailey (F) for the fourth consecutive game.

• Arkansas won the tip for the third time in four games.

• Jimmy Whitt Jr., scored the first points of the game, a fastbreak layup at 18:31. Arkansas has scored first in all four games this season.

• Texas Southern took a brief 3-2 lead in the first half. The Tigers led for 18 seconds before Whitt started a 9-0 run and the Razorbacks never looked back.

• Arkansas has only trailed twice this season for a total of 63 seconds (Arkansas trailed Rice early for 45 seconds in the season opener.

• Arkansas is 7-0 all-time versus Texas Southern.

• Arkansas is 4-0 to start the season for the first time since 2017-18.

• Eric Musselman is 4-0 in his first year as Arkansas head coach. The last first-year Razorback head coach to start 4-0 was Nolan Richardson, who began 5-0 in 1985-86.

• Just four games into his sophomore season, Isaiah Joe only needs to make 24 more 3-pointers to enter the school’s all-time top 10.