Junior guard Mason Jones' banked 3-pointer with one-tenth of a second left in overtime lifted Arkansas to a 62-61 victory over host Georgia Tech on Monday night in Atlanta.
Jones' step-back 25-footer served as Arkansas' only points in the extra session and the Razorbacks' first basket since 5:57 remained in regulation. His shot answered a jump hook by Georgia Tech senior center James Banks III with 21 seconds left.
Jones led Arkansas (6-0) with 24 points, which included a crucial five-point play with 5:57 left for a 57-50 lead. Sophomore guard Isaiah Joe contributed 13 points and nine rebounds, and sophomore guard Desi Sills added 11 points.
Georgia Tech (2-2) got 20 points and 13 rebounds from Banks.
Sophomore guard Michael Devoe entered the game as the nation's No. 4 scorer at 26.0 points per game, but he fouled out in overtime with just 12 points on 4-of-16 shooting.
Devoe made his first shot at the 13:44 mark of the first half, then converted a spin move for a 3-point play to give Georgia Tech a 19-18 edge with 8:37 left in the first half.
That's when Arkansas' defense triggered a big run. When Joe swiped the ball and flew in for a dunk with 3:46 left in the half, the Razorbacks owned a 29-22 lead and forced Georgia Tech to call a timeout.
Georgia Tech pulled within 33-30 at the break despite getting just five points from Devoe. He stayed quiet during the second half, but Georgia Tech kept answering every time Arkansas threatened to build its lead to double digits.
With Arkansas holding a 52-50 lead, Banks missed a game-tying layup when everyone on the Georgia Tech bench wanted a foul.
Arkansas senior forward Adrio Bailey grabbed the rebound and fed Jones for a layup as Devoe fouled him. When Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner complained about the lack of a call at the other end, the officials slapped him with a technical. Jones sank both technical free throws, then finished off the original three-point play.
Georgia Tech dug in and limited Arkansas to two free throws for the rest of regulation. When Devoe split a pair of free throws with 1:14 left, Georgia Tech pulled into a 59-59 tie. Nobody scored again until Banks' shot with 21 seconds left in overtime.
--Field Level Media
Arkansas | Georgia Tech | |
Mason Jones 24 | Scoring | James Banks III 20 |
Desi Sills 4 | Assists | Michael Devoe 3 |
Isaiah Joe 9 | Rebounds | James Banks III 14 |
Mason Jones 7 | Free Throws Made | James Banks III 8 |
Isaiah Joe 6 | Steals | Michael Devoe 2 |
Jimmy Whitt Jr. 2 | Blocks | James Banks III 1 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Arkansas | 62 | 37.3 | 7-25 | 11-16 | 14 | 29 | 4 | 15 | 14 |
Georgia Tech | 61 | 41.5 | 2-12 | 15-22 | 7 | 46 | 1 | 6 | 24 |