FAYETTEVILLE – The Arkansas men’s basketball team concluded exhibition play Friday night, defeating the Missouri Western Griffons 88-74 inside Bud Walton Arena.
With the combination of a slow start offensively by the Razorbacks and hot shooting by the Griffons, Arkansas found itself down as many as eight early. The Hogs turned up the pressure, creating four turnovers to spark an 11-0 run to take a three-point lead with 7:25 left in the first half.
Arkansas used a 7-0 run to close out the half, as senior guard Jaylen Barford scored five, to hold a 41-35 lead at the break. Barford scored 12 first-half points, while senior guard Daryl Macon led all scorers with 14 of his own.
The Griffons kept the contest close with their three-point shooting, hitting 14 in the contest, going 14-of-27 from behind the arc for an astounding 52 percent.
Missouri Western was able to get within one during the second half but Arkansas never gave up its lead, in large part to its free throw shooting. The Razorbacks went 26-of-31 from the line as a team, as 16 of their final 32 points came from the charity stripe to put the Griffons away.
Freshman big man Daniel Gafford’s presence down low was on full display, as he finished with 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the floor, to go along with a game-high eight rebounds and five blocks. Gafford helped Arkansas control the paint, edging the Griffons 34-16 in paint points.
When Arkansas needed to, it created havoc Friday night, forcing 19 turnovers, turning them into 32 points on the other end. The Razorbacks outscored Missouri Western 14-0 on fast break points.
Four Razorbacks finished in double-figures as Barford led the way with 23 and Macon followed with 22, who was a large part in Arkansas’ free throw shooting, going 9-9 from the free throw line. Senior guard Anton Beard also finished in double figures with 12 of his own.
Arkansas opens regular season play next Friday, Nov. 10, as the Razorbacks host the Samford Bulldogs for a 7 p.m. tip off in Bud Walton Arena. The game can be streamed on SEC Network Plus.
Hogs In Exhibitions
• Arkansas improves to 14-0 in exhibition games under head coach Mike Anderson.
• The Razorbacks have won those 14 games by an average of 29.9 points.
• During Anderson’s 15-plus years as a head coach, he is 32-0 all-time in exhibitions.
• Dating back to a 74-47 victory over Texas A&M Commerce to open the 2004-05 season, Arkansas has won 28 consecutive exhibition games.
Season Tickets
The Razorback Ticket Center is currently accepting requests for 2017-18 Men’s Basketball Season Tickets. Seats will be assigned by Razorback Foundation guidelines with season tickets starting at $225. To purchase tickets call 1-800-982-4647 or click here.
Video Courtesy: HitThatLine.Com/ESPN 95.3 FM
