• The crowd of 17,274 was the largest for an Arkansas home opener since the 1997-98 season (18,948 versus Northeastern Illinois – a game Arkansas won 114-56).
• The 43 points scored by Rice were the lowest by an Arkansas opponent since the Razorbacks held Mississippi State to 41 on Feb. 7, 2016 – a game Arkansas won 61-41.
• The 43 points were the lowest by an opponent in an Arkansas home opener since the Razorbacks’ opened the 1949-50 season with a 59-41 win over Pittsburg State.
• The 19 first-half points allowed was the fewest by an opponent in an Arkansas season opener since 2002-03 when the Razorbacks held Jackson State to 16 in an 81-44 win.
• The 24 second-half points allowed was the fewest by an opponent in an Arkansas season opener since 2007-08 when the Razorbacks held Wofford to 19 in a 67-45 win.
• The 48-point win was the largest by the Razorbacks in a season opener since handing Jackson State a 62-point loss (130-68) to open the 2009-10 season.
• The 32 points by Mason Jones were the second-most by a Razorback in a season opener.
Arkansas returns to action next Tuesday (Nov. 12) versus North Texas. Tipoff at Bud Walton Arena is set for 7 pm.
FIRST HALF: Arkansas 39 – Rice 19
• Mason Jones made back-to-back 3’s to start the game for the Razorbacks.
• Rice answered with an 8-0 run.
• Arkansas used 3-pointers by Mason Jones and Isaiah Joe spurred a 12-2 run and a 20-10 lead.
• A highlight reel dunk by Isaiah Joe and fastbreak dunk by Mason Jones gave Arkansas its largest lead to that point, 15 points – 31-16 – and force a Rice timeout at the 4:19 mark.
• Arkansas out-scored Rice 8-3 inside the final four minutes to give the Razorbacks a 39-19 lead at the break.
• Mason Jones led the Razorbacks with 17 first-half points and a team-best six rebounds.
• Arkansas out-rebounded Rice 22-11 in the first half and shot 48.5 percent from the field while holding the Owls to 32 percent.
SECOND HALF: Arkansas led by as many as 30 from the 15:58 mark to the end of the game.
• A pair of 3’s by Isaiah Joe led to a 10-2 run to open the second half and 49-22 lead.
• Joe led Arkansas with 16 second-half points with four of his career-high seven assists coming in the second half.
• Jones scored 15 in the second half.
• Arkansas shot 61.8 percent in the second half while holding Rice to 25.8 percent.
• Rice was held to 0-for-12 shooting from 3-point range in the second half.
GAME NOTES
• Arkansas’ starting lineup was Jimmy Whitt (G) – Isaiah Joe (G) – Desi Sills (G) – Mason Jones (G) – Adrio Bailey (F).
• Arkansas won the tip.
• Arkansas improves to 103-41 in the all-time series with Rice, including a 55-11 mark in Fayetteville and a streak of 16 consecutive wins. Rice was on Arkansas’ schedule in the Razorbacks’ first year of basketball (1923-24) but the teams have now only twice since Arkansas left the Southwest Conference. The last time the two schools met was Dec. 17, 2005 in Little Rock, a game Arkansas won 80-61.
• Arkansas opened its 97th season of basketball and is now 78-19 all-time in lid-lifters. Arkansas has won its season opener 46 of the last 49 seasons.
• Arkansas has won 45 straight home openers, including a 27-0 mark in Bud Walton Arena.
• Eric Musselman is 5-0 in both season and home openers as a collegiate head coach.
• With a win, Arkansas head coaches are 11-2 when coaching their first game as a Razorback. Musselman makes it six straight head coaches to win their debut with Arkansas, joining Mike Anderson, John Pelphrey, Stan Heath, Nolan Richardson and Eddie Sutton.
• Arkansas held Rice to 8% shooting (2-of-25) from 3-point range. It was the lowest by a Razorback opponent since Northwestern State only made 7.1 (1-of-14) from 3-point range on Dec. 29, 2012.
• The 27 turnovers forced was the most by an Arkansas opponent since Oral Roberts had 27 on Dec. 12, 2017.
• Jalen Harris scored 10 points – 3-of-4 FG including 2-of-2 3-point shooting.
• This was Mason Jones’ third, 30-point game. The junior scored 30 twice last season (Florida and Mississippi State). He has scored in double figures 21 times and has led the team in scoring 11 times.
• Sophomore Isaiah Joe has now made 117 career 3-pointers and only needs 36 more triples to enter the Arkansas career top 10. Joe reached double figures for the 29th time and made at least three, 3-pointers for the 21st time in his short career.
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