By CHIP SOUZA , Associated Press
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Isaiah Joe scored 23 points and Arkansas rallied from an early deficit to snap a four-game losing streak beating Missouri 72-60 Wednesday night in Bud Walton Arena.
Joe knocked down seven 3-pointers and fueled a late second-half run that turned a close game into a runaway.
Arkansas (11-7, 2-4 SEC) led 60-59 with 4:27 left when the Razorbacks went on a 10-0 run. Joe buried 3-pointers around two inside buckets to give Arkansas a 70-59 lead with 2:28 left.
The loss was the fourth in the last five games for Missouri (10-7, 1-4) which seized control early in the first half and raced to a 14-2 lead on a layup by Jordan Geist eight minutes in. Arkansas opened the game by going 1-of-12 from the floor and went more than six minutes without a point early in the half.
Jeremiah Tilmon scored seven of his nine first-half points in the first eight minutes to help the Tigers grab the early momentum.
Desi Sills finally got Arkansas going, getting a transition bucket off a turnover and the Razorbacks slowly whittled away at Missouri’s lead.
Daniel Gafford scored inside and Reggie Chaney added back-to-back buckets to pull Arkansas within 26-20 with 4:11 left before halftime.
Arkansas took its first lead of the game with an 8-0 run with under three minutes left in the half. Sills hit a pair of free throws, then Joe and Keyshawn Embery-Simpson knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers for a 30-29 Razorbacks lead with 2:10 left.
Xavier Pinson drained a 3-pointer with 36 seconds left, but Gafford, who scored 13 points, threw up a shot as he was falling down which went well above the backboard then down through the net as the buzzer sounded, cutting Missouri’s lead to 34-32.
Mark Smith led Missouri with 22 points.
UP NEXT Missouri: The Tigers will host LSU on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. on the SEC Network.
Arkansas: The Razorbacks step out of SEC play in Lubbock against Texas Tech. Tipoff in the Big 12/SEC Challenge game is set for 5 p.m.
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