Hall makes the most of his minutes, sparks run in win over Mizzou

Arkansas forward Darious Hall points to the crowd during a game against Missouri on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2018, in Fayetteville.

— Darious Hall got his first career start Saturday, but it wasn't until after he came off the bench that he made an impact in Arkansas' 65-63 win over Missouri.

Hall scored eight points over a brief stretch early in the first half to extend the Razorbacks' lead from 10-7 to 18-7 after he re-entered the game with 13:11 left before halftime.

All four of Hall's field goals came during a 2:01 stretch between 12:54 and 10:53 remaining in the first half.

"He did a good job; good athlete, good frame on him," Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin said of the 6-6, 210-pound freshman from Little Rock. "He slashed to the basket, got layups and we didn't do a very good job on him, really."

Martin indicated he wasn't pleased with how Missouri junior forward Jordan Barnett guarded Hall during the scoring spree.

"I don't think he had a good presence on him for being a young guy getting his first start," Martin said. "We allowed him to get his head up and he played well."

Hall's play sparked an 18-0 run that put Arkansas in command for much of the first half. He made all four of his field goal attempts and scored all 10 of his points and had four of his five rebounds before halftime, helping the Razorbacks to a 35-28 at the intermission.

"That was probably his best game all year," senior guard Daryl Macon said. "He brings a lot of energy and plays like it's his last game every time. He's a dog and I've got to give it to him - he played awesome tonight."

Hall's hustle plays contributed to several points, including some of his own. He had two steals in the first half that led to scores, and his offensive rebound with three seconds before halftime set up two made free throws after Missouri fouled him with one second before the half.

He also had the assist on Jaylen Barford's 3-pointer to give the Razorbacks a 43-31 lead early in the second half.

"He's the energy guy," freshman Daniel Gafford said. "I walked up to him before the game and told him, 'Since this is your first time starting, you've got to go out and give it your all. Leave it all out on the court.' That's what he did."

Hall was not as impactful after halftime when he was held scoreless in eight minutes. He did not play for the game's final 8:57, but the Razorbacks outscored the Tigers 16-10 from that point on.

After combining to play nine minutes in the Razorbacks' first two SEC games, Hall has played 21 minutes in three straight games and had at least five rebounds in all three. His 10 points were his most in an SEC game.

"I thought Darious played well for us and gave us some quality minutes," Arkansas coach Mike Anderson said.