PORTLAND, Ore. — The foul tally wasn’t as lopsided in the second Arkansas-North Carolina matchup in eight months as it was the first go-around, but foul trouble hurt the Razorbacks in an 87-68 loss Friday in the second round of the Phil Knight Invitational.
Arkansas was called for 19 fouls, compared to 13 for North Carolina. The Razorbacks attempted eight free throws compared to the Tar Heels’ 21.
Foul trouble to key Arkansas players was an issue.
Senior guard Jaylen Barford sat the final 7:33 of the first half after picking up his second foul on a charging call. Freshman center Daniel Gafford played just three first-half minutes after picking up two fouls, then picked up his third and fourth in a 30-second span in the second half, prompting Anderson to sit him for almost five minutes of game time.
“We got some guys in foul trouble and I thought that kind of limited us,” Anderson said. “… There was a big-time disparity in fouls, so therefore they’re going to shoot free throws.”
Barford wound up playing a season-low 27 minutes, while Gafford was limited to just 15. Arkansas struggled when the pair went to the bench because of foul trouble.
The Razorbacks went on 9-0 and 10-0 runs in the second half with Gafford on the floor. Earlier, North Carolina outscored Arkansas by eight the remainder of the first half after Barford went to the bench with his second foul, extending a three-point lead to 11, a double-digit margin the Tar Heels maintained until a late Arkansas run.
“It didn’t really take me out of rhythm, I just knew I had to keep my head in the game and get ready for the second half,” Barford said. “I knew we was going to put up a fight. Just try to help my team win as much as possible and just keep a positive head on the bench.”
Arkansas was whistled for double the fouls (20) as North Carolina in its NCAA Tournament loss to the Tar Heels in March.
Gafford wrap
Gafford sported a wrap on his right hand in Arkansas’ games against Oklahoma and North Carolina in Portland, the result of a minor ailment suffered in practice.
“He had it, he had a good game (against OU) and he kept it,” Anderson said. “Nah, just kidding. I think he bumped it, maybe banged it in practice.”
Gafford has played well when he’s stayed out of foul trouble early in his freshman season. He is averaging 13.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks while shooting 70.6 percent in 20.6 minutes per game.
Bailey blocks
Adrio Bailey had a breakout performance off the bench in the NCAA Tournament against North Carolina, emerging as a spark plug and helping the Razorbacks lead late in an eventual close loss.
The sophomore forward made an impact against the Tar Heels again Friday, starting and recording four points, four rebounds and a career-high five blocks in 18 minutes. He offered impressive rim protection as a help defender several times.
His previous career-best was two blocks, a mark he’s hit five times. He came into the game averaging 1.8 blocks over the course of Arkansas’ first four games.
Facts and figures
Arkansas dropped to 3-7 all-time against North Carolina.
The Razorbacks haven’t beaten North Carolina since winning a Final Four matchup in Seattle in 1995 to earn their second straight trip to the national title game.
Friday was the first regular-season matchup between the programs since Arkansas beat a top-ranked, unbeaten Tar Heels team with Michael Jordan 65-64 in Pine Bluff in 1984.
The meeting marked the 10th different city and ninth different state the schools have played in: Portland, Ore., Greenville, S.C., Jacksonville, Fla., Raleigh, N.C., Seattle, East Rutherford, N.J., Dallas, Pine Bluff, Anchorage, Alaska., Greensboro, N.C.
The Hogs have lost six straight games to ACC teams, dropping games against North Carolina on Friday, last season and in 2015, matchups against Clemson and Wake Forest in 2015 and Georgia Tech in 2014.
Mike Anderson’s Arkansas teams are now 2-12 against AP Top 10 opponents, with the last win coming against Texas A&M two years ago.
North Carolina coach Roy Williams improved to 4-0 all-time against Arkansas. Friday was the first non-NCAA Tournament game he’s coached against the Razorbacks.