PROVIDENCE, R.I. — There were a lot of questions about where Arkansas' offense would come from after star sophomore Daniel Gafford announced Monday that he was entering the NBA Draft and would not play in the NIT.
Early in their game against Providence, the answer was the three-point line as Arkansas started 5-5 from beyond the arc. The Razorbacks finished the game shooting 48% from three (10-21).
Mason Jones said that it, "felt good to get the win because without Daniel, people expected us to lose and go home."
Jones led the Hogs with 18 points on 5-8 shooting and hitting 4-6 from 3. Reggie Chaney made the most of his minutes, scoring 14 points on 7-9 shooting and blocking 7 shots. Gabe Osabuohien scored 11 points and pulled down a team high 8 rebounds.
Rebounding has been an issue all season for the Razorbacks, but against the Friars, Arkansas won the battle of the boards 36-25, and grabbed five more defensive rebounds. The Hogs also got 41 points from their bench.
Arkansas will next travel to Indiana to play the top-seeded Hoosiers. The Razorbacks beat Indiana in Bud Walton Arena, 73-72, in November. Daniel Gafford led all scorers in that game with 27. Romeo Langford, who did not play in Indiana's opening-round NIT matchup, led the Hoosiers with 22.