Senior guard Jimmy Whitt Jr. tied his career high with 24 points as the host Arkansas Razorbacks defeated the South Dakota Coyotes 77-56 on Friday night at Fayetteville, Ark.

Whitt, who started his career at Arkansas, played two years at SMU and then came back this season, made 11 of 14 shots from the floor and was 2-for-3 from the foul line. He added seven rebounds, three steals and one block.

Mason Jones added 14 points and seven rebounds for Arkansas (5-0), which never trailed in its second all-time meeting against South Dakota. Arkansas won the first meeting 33-27 way back on Dec. 19, 1932.

South Dakota (5-1) entered Friday's game leading the nation in 3-point percentage (51.1). Arkansas entered the game ranked third nationally in 3-point defense, allowing opponents to shoot just 11.6 percent.

The Razorbacks won that strength-versus-strength matchup as South Dakota shot just 25.0 percent on 3-pointers, going 3-for-12. Overall, South Dakota shot 40.0 from the floor, and the Coyotes were minus-five on turnovers and minus-six on rebounds.

Arkansas shot 47.0 percent from the floor, including just 4-of-20 on 3-pointers (20.0 percent).

Tyler Hagedorn, a 6-10 senior center for South Dakota who is considered one of the top 10 players in the Summit League, had a team-high 15 points.

South Dakota's Stanley Umude, a 6-6 junior guard and the Summit League's Preseason Player of the Year, scored 13 points with eight rebounds.

Whitt hit two jumpers in the game's first two minutes as Arkansas took control from the start. The Razorbacks led by as many as 19 points in the first half before going into the break ahead 39-24.

South Dakota cut its deficit to 62-52 on two Hagedorn free throws with 7:00 left in the second half, but Whitt answered with a jumper on Arkansas' next possession, and the Coyotes never got that close again.

--Field Level Media