Joe sparks late Arkansas rally to beat Mississippi, 76-72
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) Isaiah Joe put on a clinic about finishing strong and Arkansas coach Eric Musselman loved the results Saturday as the Razorbacks rallied late to defeat Mississippi 76-72,
''Isaiah put on a show shooting wise,'' Musselman said. ''But around the eight-minute mark we changed up the defense and it really made a difference on four of their possessions. We also got some shots with a player we wanted.''
Joe was that player, finishing with 34 points, 26 in the second half, including 14 in the final seven minutes as the Razorbacks (13-2, 2-1 Southeastern) wiped out a 60-51 deficit.
Joe's most important play came on the defensive end with a steal to preserve a 72-70 lead with 17 seconds remaining. Ole Miss was forced to foul Joe and the sophomore guard converted both free throws for an insurmountable four-point advantage.
''We had to finish out at the end and that's what we did,'' Joe said. ''Once you get in a rhythm, you sort of find yourself. My teammates were able to find me.''
Mason Jones scored 13 points and added nine assists with six rebounds while Jimmy Whitt Jr. added 11 points while the Razorbacks converted 14 of 14 from the free throw line in the second half. The Razorbacks were 23 of 56 (41 percent) from the field and 22 of 27 (82%) from the free throw line.
Breein Tyree scored 27 points for Ole Miss (9-6, 0-2), but the Rebels went 2 of 8 from the field with two turnovers in the final four minutes. Blake Hinson scored 13 points, KJ Buffen had 12 points and 10 rebounds while Devontae Shuler had 10 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
''I thought we played well for about 35 minutes,'' Mississippi coach Kermit Davis said. ''We just did a poor job of getting to Joe late. He's a good player and made a big steal at the end.''
The Rebels finished 22 of 54 (41%) from the field, but struggled at 3-point range, managing only 3 of 13 (23%). Ole Miss was 25 of 26 (96%) from the free throw line and out rebounded Arkansas 40-28.
BIG PICTURE
Arkansas: NCAA Tournament resumes are built by road wins and the Razorbacks added Ole Miss to an impressive list that includes Georgia Tech and Indiana. Joe drilled consecutive 3-point shots in a 30-second span to ignite the comeback in the final seven minutes. Arkansas scored 21 points off 16 Ole Miss turnovers.
''We had Whitt and Joe make free throws under pressure at the end and we got 21 points off turnovers. I thought that was the turning point of the game, Musselman said.
Ole Miss: The Rebels have struggled to score and it was apparent in the final seven minutes, managing only two baskets. The Rebels have shot less than 41 percent in three consecutive games and answers must be found immediately since three of the next four games are on the road before closing January at home with No. 5 Auburn.
UP NEXT
Arkansas: Hosts Vanderbilt on Wednesday. The Razorbacks host four of the remaining five games in January.
Ole Miss: Visits Florida on Tuesday. Florida is coached by Michael White, a four-year starter at point guard on three NCAA Tournament teams for the Rebels in the 1990s.
Isaiah Joe scored 34 points and added a game-saving steal before converting a pair of free throws with 17 seconds remaining as Arkansas rallied to defeat Mississippi 76-72 on Saturday.
Arkansas (13-2, 2-1 Southeastern) wiped out a 60-51 deficit with seven minutes remaining. Joe scored 28 second half points including 14 in the decisive stretch run. The clinching steal preserved a 72-70 lead, forcing an Ole Miss foul, converted with free throws by Joe for an insurmountable 74-70 cushion.
Mason Jones scored 13 points and added nine assists with six rebounds while Jimmy Whitt Jr. added 11 points as the Razorbacks converted 14 of 14 from the free throw line in the second half. The Razorbacks were 23 of 56 (41 percent) from the field and 22 of 27 (82%) from the free throw line.
Breein Tyree scored 27 points for Ole Miss (9-6, 0-2), but the Rebels went 2 of 8 from the field with two turnovers in the final four minutes.
Blake Hinson scored 13 points, KJ Buffen had 12 points and 10 rebounds while Devontae Shuler had 10 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
The Rebels finished 22 of 54 (41%) from the field, but struggled at 3-point range, managing only 3 of 13 (23%). Ole Miss was 25 of 26 (96%) from the free throw line and out rebounded Arkansas 40-28.
BIG PICTURE
Arkansas: NCAA Tournament resumes are built by road wins and the Razorbacks added Ole Miss to an impressive list that includes Georgia Tech and Indiana. Arkansas scored 21 points off 16 Ole Miss turnovers. Joe drilled consecutive 3-point shots in a 30-second span to ignite the comeback in the final seven minutes.
Ole Miss: The Rebels have struggled to score and it was apparent in the final seven minutes, managing only two baskets. The Rebels have shot less than 41 percent in three consecutive games and answers must be found immediately since three of the next four games are on the road before closing January at home with No. 5 Auburn.
UP NEXT
Arkansas: Hosts Vanderbilt on Wednesday. The Razorbacks host four of the remaining five games in January.
Ole Miss: Visits Florida on Tuesday. Florida is coached by Michael White, a four-year starter at point guard on three NCAA Tournament teams for the Rebels in the 1990s.