COLUMBIA, Mo. — University of Arkansas forward Daniel Gafford scored the Razorbacks’ first 10 points covering the first 7:48 of game action Tuesday in a 79-78 loss to Missouri.
Gafford opened with 5 of 6 shooting while the rest of the team was 0 for 9 until Mason Jones connected on a 15-footer from straightaway as the 12:12 mark.
The 6-11 Gafford hit a short hook shot 14 seconds after winning the opening tip.
His next two shots were dunks, the first on a clever feed from the baseline by Jalen Harris after Adrio Bailey hit him with a backdoor cut.
Gafford wound up with 26 points, while his Missouri counterpart Jeremiah Tilmon scored 21 points on 8 of 11 shooting.
The two combined to make 20 of 28 shots.
“Neither one of them could guard each other,” Missouri Coach Cuonzo Martin said. “I thought he played well and also just matched Gafford’s skill level, his talent level. That’s needed for us.
Joe breaks 3 record
Arkansas guard Isaiah Joe shot his way into the University of Arkansas record books on an otherwise bleak night the the Razorbacks.
Joe made his second three-pointer of the night, and his 84th of the season, early in the second half to break Rotnei Clarke’s school record for three-pointers by a freshman. He finished the night 4 of 9 from beyond the arc to give him 86 three-pointers on the season.
Clarke made 83 of 211 three-pointers during the 2008-09 season.
Joe has been much more efficient. The 6-5, 167-pounder from Fort Smith Northside entered the night 82 of 187 for a 43.9 percent clip that ranked second in the SEC.
“Isaiah’s meant a lot to this team,” Arkansas forward Daniel Gafford said. “He’s a good shooter for this team. He comes out and gives us his all. That’s been great for us going down the stretch.”
Back bump
Arkansas’ Daniel Gafford figured he’ll wake up sore in the lower back this morning after taking a shot from Missouri’s Reed Niko that took him out of the game for a couple of minutes in the first half.
Gafford was backing down on the post when he reacted to the collision by jogging out near mid-court and eventually going down as the Tigers headed the other way with the ball.
“I backed into him and we both met each other,” Gafford said. “Either his hip bone or his knee ran into my tailbone and that’s like one of the worst places to get hit.
“It was basically low back. The pain shot up straight from my low back. I just had to walk it off because my team needed me.”
5-point trip
Arkansas cut a 36-24 deficit to seven points during a quick offensive burst late in the first half.
The 15-second sequence started at the 4:00 mark, when Missouri guard Javon Pickett was called for an intentional foul as Desi Sills drove for a breakaway layup. Sills converted both free throws, then Isaiah Joe made 1 of 2 free throw shots four seconds later. Missouri guard Xavier Pinson was called for traveling seconds later against the press and Daniel Gafford scored on a short shot in the lane at the 3:45 mark.
Tiger talk
Missouri played for a sixth consecutive game without three-point ace Mark Smith, the SEC’s top marksman from beyond the arc. Smith has not played since suffering an ankle injury late in the Tigers’ 72-60 loss at Arkansas on Jan. 23.
Tigers forward Jeremiah Tilmon returned after a one-game layoff on Saturday to recover from emergency wisdom teeth surgery.
Series stats
Arkansas’ lead in the series is now 27-24, including an 8-6 advantage since Missouri joined the SEC.
Missouri leads the series by a 15-10 margin in games played on the Tigers’ campus.
Now 1,001
The Razorbacks needed more than 12 minutes to stretch their streak of games with a made three-pointer to 1,001.
Arkansas opened 0 of 8 from three-point range — while Missouri was 5 of 12 — before Isaiah Joe nailed one behind the arc from the top of the circle on a feed from Jalen Harris with 7:57 left in the first half.
46 again
The Razorbacks trailed Missouri 46-36 at intermission on Tuesday. That marked the second-consecutive half Arkansas allowed 46 points. South Carolina overcame a 13-point deficit to outscore the Hogs 46-30 in Columbia, S.C., last Saturday.
Short gap
At 20 days, the gap between games against Missouri is the shortest for any two-time opponent the Razorbacks face this season.
The Razorbacks had a 21-day gap between games against LSU, with each winning at the other’s home venue. Arkansas will have a 42-day span before getting a chance to avenge an 84-67 loss to Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss.
Vanderbilt will get a chance to split its season series with the Hogs on March 6, 29 days after losing 69-66 at Walton Arena.
Texas A&M will have 49 days between losing to Arkansas 73-71 at Reed Arena in College Station, Texas, and having a shot at the split on Feb. 23 at Walton Arena.
Tip ins
• The Missouri football team was introduced with the Battle Line Trophy during a break in the first half, with the public address announcer pointing out the Tigers’ 38-0 victory over Arkansas in the season finale.
• The officials were letting the teams get after it in the early going. The first foul call on Missouri came at the 13:47 on a rebound push-off by Jeremiah Tilmon. The Razorbacks had two fouls at that point.