FAYETTEVILLE — All five starters scored in double figures, including Jalen Harris getting his first career double-double, as Arkansas used its trademark defense and up-tempo style to claim a 90-68 victory over Montana State at Bud Walton Arena in the Razorbacks’ third game of the Hardwood Showcase.
The Razorbacks capitalized on its #FASTEST40 style to throw down 10 dunks, the second-most total in the Mike Anderson era.
Harris dished out a career-high 11 assists and is the first Razorback to have 11 helpers since Jabril Durham did so versus South Carolina on March 5, 2016. Harris, who only committed one turnover, added 11 points.
Mason Jones led the Razorbacks with 18 points while Daniel Gafford added 16, Adrio Bailey scored 10 and Isaiah Joe scored 10.
Gafford was 8-for-8 from the field, tying a school record for best field goal percentage in a game (with eight attempts being the minimum). Gafford is the eighth player to accomplish the feat and the only Razorback to do so twice. (Gafford was 8-for-8 last season versus Minnesota.)
Montana State was led by Tyler Hall, who scored 29 points. He was 10-of-12 from the field overall and 7-of-15 from 3-point range. However, 23 of those points came in the first half as Arkansas held the guard to just six points on just 2-of-6 shooting in the second half.
Arkansas will wrap up the Hardwood Showcase on Friday by hosting UT Arlington. Tip-off is set for 7 pm at Bud Walton Arena.
FIRST HALF: Arkansas 54 – Montana State 38
• Mason Jones scored Arkansas’ first seven points and the Razorbacks started the game with an 11-1 run. Overall, Jones scored 10 of the Razorbacks’ first 16 points.
• Isaiah Joe had steals on three straight possessions as Arkansas pushed its lead to 25-7 with 11:46 left in the period.
• Montana State did not reach double digits until Tyler Hall hit a 3-pointer with 8:48 left. Arkansas forced 10 turnovers with seven steals up to that point.
• The Bobcats made five 3-pointers and worked a 25-point deficit to 15 with 5:39 left.
• Arkansas had a season-high six dunks in the first half alone and the 54 points were the most by the Razorbacks this season.
• Mason Jones finished the half with 16 points. Jalen Harris had five assists, who had dished out a total of four in each of the first three games.
• For Montana State, Tyler Hall scored 23 points of the Bobcats’ 38 points on 7-of-12 shooting from 3-point range.
SECOND HALF:
• A dunk by Adrio Bailey at 12:20 was the Razorbacks’ ninth dunk of the game. It additionally put the Razorbacks up 25. The Razorbacks maintained at least a 24-point lead the rest of the game.
• Daniel Gafford, who had four dunks in the game, provided the Razorbacks’ 10th and final dunk of the game with 6:25 left in the game. The total was the second-most by the Razorbacks in the Mike Anderson era with 12 being the record.
GAME NOTES:
• Arkansas starters were Isaiah Joe (G) – Jalen Harris (G) – Mason Jones (G) – Adrio Bailey (F) – Daniel Gafford (F). Reggie Chaney started the second half for Bailey.
• Arkansas controlled the tip and Mason Jones scored the first points of the game, a 3-pointer six seconds into the game.
• In three of the four games this season, Mason Jones has scored the first points of the game, each time the baskets were 3-pointers.
• Over the last two games, Daniel Gafford has made 20-of-23 shots from the field.
• Daniel Gafford, Mason Jones and Isaiah Joe have scored in double figures in all four games.
• Jordan Phillips, who had been injured since the summer, saw his first action of the season, entering at 8:54 in the first period.
• Jonathan Holmes got his first playing time of the season, entering with 2:31 left in the game. Ty Stevens also saw his first action as a Razorback, entering at 1:02 in the second half.
• Mike Anderson is now 66-1 as a head coach when his teams score at least 90 points, including a 34-0 mark at Arkansas.
• Arkansas has held three of its four opponents to fewer points in the second half than the first half. Montana State scored 38 in the first and just 30 in the second. The only team to score more second-half points was Indiana, which scored 37 in the second half and 35 in the first.
