Gafford, Joe, Harris pace Red to big win over White

FAYETTEVILLE — The Red Team, led by Isaiah Joe and Daniel Gafford, defeated the White Team, 105-82, before a crowd of 7,500 in the annual Red-White game Friday night.

Joe, a freshman from Fort Smith, made 9-of-14 from 3-point range and scored a game-high 31 points.

The Red team’s Jalen Harris during Friday night’s game in Fayetteville. PHOTO BY ANDY HODGES | HITTHATLINE.COM

Gafford recorded a double-double, scoring 24 points and pulling down 12 rebounds. Redshirt sophomore guard Jalen Harris, who sat out last season per NCAA transfer regulations, also posted a double-double with 16 points and 10 assists.

Gabe Osabuohien just missed a double-double, scoring 20 points and getting eight rebounds.

For the White Team, Mason Jones and Adrio Bailey each scored 22 points while Desi Sills added 16 points and eight assists.

The teams combined for 187 points in the game.

However, midway through the second half, the scrimmage had a running clock but the teams still combined to score 88 points, compared to 99 in the first half playing with a conventional clock.

In addition to the game, festivities for the evening included a slam dunk competition by the Razorbacks as well as assorted Homecoming activities, highlighted by a halftime pep rally.

It was no surprise that Gafford, who had a school-record 75 dunks last season, won the slam dunk contest with freshman Ethan Henderson giving a good run for his title. In the game, Gafford finished with six dunks.

The Red Team jumped out early as Gafford controlled the tip to Harris, who hit a wide-open Joe for a layup just seconds into the game. It was one of Harris’ seven, first-half assists.

Red led White 15-8 at the first media timeout behind five points from Joe. The White made a run behind Mason Jones, cutting its deficit to four, 22-18, at the second break.

The White’s Mason Jones drives the baseline during the first half of the Red-White game Friday night. PHOTO BY ANDY HODGES | HITTHATLINE.COM

In the first eight minutes, Jones, a junior college transfer, was the first to double digits with 11 points. A pair of 3’s from Joe and one from Jonathan Holmes helped the Red open up an eight-point lead at the 8-minute timeout, 34-26.

The White worked its way back into the game and trailed just four, 40-36, coming out of the 4-minute timeout after a basket by Adrio Bailey.

The Red once again answered as the first half drew to a close and took a 55-43 lead at the break.

True to form in coach Mike Anderson’s #FASTEST40 style, both teams had 10 fast-break points in the first half and both teams shot over 46 percent from the field.

Joe led the way with 17 points in the first 20 minutes, draining 5-of-8 from long range. Jones poured in 17 to lead the White team in the first half, making 7-of-11 shots from the field.

To open the second half, the Red Team quickly raced out to a 71-54 lead as Joe hit a coupe of treys and Gafford put an exclamation on the lead with a dunk before the first media timeout.

Despite a 3-pointer by the White’s Sills midway through the second half, the Red maintained a 20-point lead the rest of the way.

Arkansas will play the first of its two home exhibition games next Friday (Oct. 26) when the Razorbacks host Tusculum. Tip-off is set for 7 pm.