Arkansas downs Vanderbilt

Razorbacks beat Commodores 72-54 at Bud Walton Arena.

FAYETTEVILLE — The Arkansas Razorbacks kept Vanderbilt winless on the road.

The Razorbacks overcame a sloppy start to beat the Commodores 72-54 on Saturday night in Walton Arena.

Vanderbilt (9-16, 3-9 SEC) fell to 0-9 on the road this season, including 0-7 in conference games. The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville (17-8, 6-6) improved to 13-1 in Walton Arena.

Senior guard Daryl Macon led the Razorbacks with 21 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists.

Macon scored 20 or more points for the seventh consecutive game. He hit 7 of 17 shots, including 4 of 6 3-pointers.

Arkansas freshman forward Daniel Gafford had 16 points, 9 rebounds and 7 blocked shots. Senior guard Jaylen Barford scored 16 points for the Razorbacks.

Riley LaChance, Jeff Roberson, Saben Lee, Maxwell Evans and Larry Austin each scored eight points for the Commodores.

Vanderbilt Coach Bryce Drew was hit with a technical foul with 17:13 left. Drew was upset Gafford wasn’t called for a foul when he blocked a shot by Ejike Obinna. Macon hit 1 of 2 free throws resulting from the technical, then Gafford scored on the ensuing

possession to give Arkansas a 35-24 lead with 17:05 left.

Vanderbilt cut Arkansas’ lead to 38-31 on Lee’s 3-point basket.

Barford hit back-to-back 3-pointers, and Macon hit a 3-pointer to push the lead to 48-32 at the 11:39 mark.

Vanderbilt pulled within 48-36 on a drive by Austin.

Macon hit a 3-pointer and passed to Gafford for a dunk to make it 53-36 with 8:06 left. Vanderbilt never got close again.

Macon hit two free throws to give Arkansas a 28-21 lead with 1:13 left in the first half.

After a Vanderbilt miss the Razorbacks were able to hold the ball for the final possession, but Dustin Thomas missed a jump shot.

Both teams struggled offensively in the first half.

Vanderbilt shot 15.4 percent from the field (4 of 26) and had nine turnovers.

Arkansas shot 38.5 percent (10 of 26) and had 10 turnovers.

The Razorbacks turned the ball over on their first five possessions without getting a shot off as Vanderbilt took a 4-0 lead on baskets by LaChance and Obinna.

Arkansas went ahead 7-6 on Macon’s jumper.

The Commodores moved ahead 13-7 on a 3-pointer by LaChance and four free throws by Evans.

Arkansas outscored Vanderbilt 15-0 over a 5:08 span, including eight points by Barford, to take a 22-13 lead on Anton Beard’s driving basket with 5:01 left in the half.

Vanderbilt went 6:20 without scoring before Evans hit two free throws at the 4:03 mark of the half to make it 22-15.

Arkansas went ahead 26-15 on C.J. Jones’ jump shot.

Lee hit two free throws to pull the Commodores within 26-21 with 2:05 left in the half.

Arkansas will be back on the road at Ole Miss on Tuesday night.

NWA Democrat-Gazette/ANDY SHUPE Arkansas’ Jaylen Barford (left) drives to the lane as he is pressured by Vanderbilt’s Saben Lee during the first half Saturday at Walton Arena in Fayetteville. Barford scored 16 points as the Razorbacks won 72-54.

NWA Democrat-Gazette/ANDY SHUPE Arkansas guard Anton Beard dives on the floor as he tries to control a loose ball against Vanderbilt’s Saban Lee during Saturday’s victory in Fayetteville.