FAYETTEVILLE — Jaylen Barford scored 23 points, 16 in the second half, as Arkansas opened a big first half lead and held on down the stretch for a 97-93 win over Ole Miss on Saturday.
Barford, the Southeastern Conference's third-leading scorer at 18.9 points per game, was 8 of 11 from the field — helping the Razorbacks (13-6, 3-4) bounce back after four losses in their last five games. The senior also had five rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Daryl Macon added 20 points for Arkansas, while freshman Daniel Gafford had 15 points, nine rebounds, three steals and three blocks. C.J. Jones and Darious Hall each also finished in double figures with 11 points.
Terence Davis was 10 of 15 from the field and led the Rebels (10-9, 3-4) with a season-high 30 points. Breein Tyree added 16 points in the loss, and Deandre Burnett and Bruce Stevens had 15 each.
BIG PICTURE
Ole Miss: The Rebels had won five of their last seven games in Bud Walton Arena. After trailing by as many as 18 points in the first half, they cut Arkansas' lead to as few as two points with 12 seconds left on a 3-pointer by Davis. However, Macon hit four straight free throws in the closing minute to secure the win.
Arkansas: Jones was one of Arkansas' top scorers during non-conference action, but he was mired in a 7-of-32 shooting (21.9 percent) slump over his last seven games before Saturday. The sophomore finally found his stroke against the Rebels, finishing 4 of 7 from the field and scoring in double figures for the first time since a win over Oral Roberts on Dec. 19.
UP NEXT
Ole Miss hosts Alabama on Tuesday.
The Razorbacks are at Georgia on Tuesday.