FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas jumped the UC-Davis Aggies with a game opening 11-0 run.
Then, the Razorbacks (1-1) couldn't prevent the Aggies (0-3) from hanging around in striking distance until the final five minutes of Arkansas' 81-58 home opening victory Monday night before 6,373 at Bud Walton Arena.
Up only 37-30 at half and up only 63-54 after Davis' Siler Schneider nailed a trey with 5:17 left, Adrio Bailey's consecutive free throws started a game-breaking run including Isaiah Joe's 3-pointer then two more Bailey free throws and a Bailey bucket to be running away at 72-54.
Junior two-year letterman forward Bailey scored a career-high 20 points while remedying Arkansas' struggling free throw shooting by hitting 9 of 11. He even made his first career 3-pointer.
"I hit some in high school, you know," Bailey said. "But that's high school."
Bailey's role changed considerably from his Campti High School days in Louisiana as an inside role player with Arkansas. It has changed again now that he's the elder statesman following six seniors graduating from last season.
"Adrio was like a veteran player out there," Arkansas coach Mike Anderson said.
Sophomore transfer Mason Jones tallied a game-leading 21 points, including 15 in the first half, and grabbed a team-leading eight rebounds.
Joe, the freshman guard from Fort Smith Northside, scored 14 points. Sophomore center Daniel Gafford, of El Dorado, scored 12 while blocking four shots.
Gafford again committed six turnovers, attracting double teams that come with being Preseason All-Southeastern Conference. Anderson said Gafford's presence freed Bailey and Jones for their big nights.
Davis guard T.J. Shorts (5-9), who was last season's Big West Player of the Year for the 2017-18 Big West champion Aggies, led his team with 14 points and eight rebounds.
"UC-Davis is a team that has some veteran players and that Player of the Year, that little guard Short, is really good," Anderson said. "And they just scrapped and clawed. Even when we got up 14, they didn't panic. They are much better than their record indicates."
Davis was only 18 of 56, 32 percent, from the field.
"They only scored 58 points," Anderson said. "Texas only shot 19 percent in the second half. That's good defense."
The Hogs' inability to hit free throws, 5 of 13 including all three one-and-ones, allowed the Aggies only to trail 37-30 at half. Arkansas improved vastly in the second half, 21 of 27.
"It's amazing how you can go from one half to the next half," Anderson said. "Almost 80 percent the second half, 21 out of 27 at the free throw line.
"You make those free throws you are scoring something like 90 points, and you take care of the ball there you probably have eight more points. So like I say, we can score, but we have to got quit shooting ourselves in the foot. But I thought our defensive effort was good."
Davis called timeout at 16:12 down, 10-0. Jones' treys started and finished the 10-0 run with buckets by Bailey in between accounting for the points.
Gabe Osabuohien's 1 of 2 free throws at 14:32 accounted for the 11th point. A.J. John's 3-pointer snapped the 11-0 run.
Despite forcing 13 turnovers and getting 15 first-half points from Jones, the Hogs couldn't push their lead past 14 and twice only led by five before Garrison Goode's basket with 52 seconds left concluded the first half scoring with Arkansas up, 37-30.
Only Gafford, 3 for 5 on first half freebies, made consecutive Arkansas first-half free throws.
The Aggies survived being outscored, 14-4, off first-half turnovers by outrebounding Arkansas, 16-14, and getting 10 first-half points and six first-half rebounds by Short. Joe hit two free throws to start the second half after a technical foul was called on Davis coach Jim Les.
Arkansas' bench was outscored, 17-12, by Davis, but Anderson said his reserves helped wear down the visitors in the second half.
"We sensed they were wearing out kind of like midway through the second half," Bailey said. "They were kind of harping on each other. When they tired as the second half is ending, that's when we gassed up."
Arkansas next plays at 2:30 p.m. Sunday on ESPN (Resort Channel 30) hosting the Indiana Hoosiers (2-0) at Bud Walton Arena.
Sports on 11/14/2018