Field Level Media
Feb 20, 2019
Bryce Brown scored a game-high 18 points as host Auburn, which led by as many as 30 in the first half, rolled to a 79-56 win over Arkansas on Wednesday night.
Arkansas had won 10 of its past 12 matchups against Auburn, but this game was all Tigers.
Auburn (18-8, 7-6 Southeastern Conference) won its second straight game by making 17 of 33 3-point attempts (51.5 percent). The Tigers fell four short of the school record for made 3-pointers and shot 48.1 percent from the floor overall.
The Tigers were balanced in their scoring. Anfernee McLemore had 13 points, Chuma Okeke had 11, and Jared Harper scored 10.
Arkansas (14-12, 5-8), which has lost four games in a row, was led by Isaiah Joe, who scored 14 points but made just 4 of 14 shots from 3-point range. Joe has 91 3-pointers, a single-season record for an Arkansas freshman.
Razorbacks star Daniel Gafford, who is one of 10 candidates for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year award, had 10 points and eight rebounds, making 4 of 5 shots from the floor. The 6-foot-11 sophomore and projected NBA first-round pick had entered the game ranked fifth in the nation with a .661 field-goal percentage.
Mason Jones, who tied his career high with 30 points in Arkansas' previous game, was held to four points on 1-for-9 shooting.
The Tigers, who lead the SEC in 3-pointers, needed just 12 seconds of game time to make their first one from distance, and they kept up with their hot shooting.
In fact, Auburn got off to a 22-1 start, making 6 of 8 3-point attempts. It took Arkansas 7:03 to score its first field goal -- a jumper by Gabe Osabuohien.
Auburn rolled to a 45-20 halftime lead, shooting 48.3 percent from the floor, including 52.6 percent on 3-point tries (10 of 19). Arkansas shot 26.7 percent from the floor before the break and 15.4 percent from 3-point range (2 of 13).
For the game, Arkansas shot 32.8 percent and made just 4 of 26 on 3-point attempts (15.4 percent).
--Field Level Media