Hogs Fall At Mizzou, Tourney Hopes Likely Dashed

COLUMBIA, MO. (KFSM) – Arkansas needed a big run to close out the regular season if the Razorbacks wanted to get back to the NCAA Tournament.

But any chance of that happening likely ended with a failed comeback attempt at Missouri as the Hogs failed to get a shot off in the final 10 seconds as they fell 79-78 and dropped their second straight SEC road game in which they likely should have won.

Despite struggles throughout the night, Arkansas had a chance to win the game as Daniel Gafford’s alley oop dunk cut the deficit to one with 10 seconds left then Jalen Harris drew an offensive foul on the ensuing Missouri end bounds attempt to give the Razorbacks the ball back. On the following possession, Harris attempted to drive the lane but could not get past the Tigers’ defense and was forced to lob the ball at the rim, coming up well short.

Arkansas (14-10, 5-6 SEC) trailed by as much as 13 points in the second half but got a huge spurt from Isaiah Joe to get back into the game. Joe set the school’s record for made 3-pointers in a season by a freshman and finished the game with 17 points and four 3-pointers.

The Razorbacks would have been blown out in the first half if not for the play of Daniel Gafford. Arkansas’s big man had 16 points in the first 20 minutes but the rest of the Hogs’ roster had just 20 points and they trailed by double digits at the break.

Gafford finished with a game high 26 points on 12-of-17 shooting but did not get a touch on the game’s final possession.