Arkansas Edged By Oklahoma

FAYETTEVILLE – In a game that featured 11 ties and five lead changes, Oklahoma’s Jalon Moore made the first of two free throws, missing the second, with 1:15 left to give the Sooners a 63-62 lead. Neither team scored over the next minute plus before Moore had a breakaway dunk with 0.7 seconds left to lift Oklahoma to a 65-62 victory Saturday night at Bud Walton Arena.

With 24 seconds left, Oklahoma’s Mohamed Wague was called for an offensive foul. Arkansas wound the clock down to 12 seconds before taking a timeout. Johnell Davis had a back-door layup attempt with four seconds left, but could not convert, leading to a Duke Miles defensive rebound and pass to Moore for the final bucket.

One of the game’s turning points was Oklahoma erasing a six-point deficit on back-to-back possessions by making three free throws each trip when Arkansas was whistled for fouling on 3-point attempts. Luke Northweather made the first trio of free throws with 9:33 left. Then, Jeremiah Frears hit three free throws with 9:01 left to tie the game.

From that point, the game was tied six more times over the final 8:39 until Moore’s free throw with 1:15 left.

Fears led Oklahoma with 16 points, going 7-of-7 at the line, while Moore scored 13 points.

For Arkansas Johnell Davis scored a season-high 18 points and had a season-high four steals. D.J. Wagner added 13 points with Adou Thiero and Zvonimir Ivisic each scoring 10 points.

Arkansas will not play a midweek game next week and returns to action at Kentucky next Saturday (Feb. 1).

FIRST HALF: Arkansas: 31 – Oklahoma: 35

• Arkansas scored first but Oklahoma used a 14-3 run, including spurts of 8-0 and 6-0, to lead 21-13.
• The Sooners led the rest of the first half.
• Oklahoma led by as many as 13 (33-20) before Arkansas closed the half with an 11-2 run for a four-point deficit.
• The difference in the half was Oklahoma making seven 3-pointers to Arkansas’ five.

SECOND HALF: Arkansas: 31 – Oklahoma: 30

• Arkansas started the second half out-scoring the Sooners 19-9, including a 14-5 spurt thanks to seven points from Ivisic and a 3-pointer from Thiero.
• Ivisic capped the 14-5 run with a 3-pointer to give Arkansas its largest lead of six points (50-44)
• After making 7-of-16 from 3-point range in the first half, the Sooners were 0-of-5 from deep in the second half.
• Johnell Davis led Arkansas with 11 second-half points.
• Jeremiah Fears led Oklahoma with 11 second-half points.

GAME NOTES:

• For the second straight game, Arkansas’ starting lineup was D.J. Wagner, Johnell Davis, Karter Knox, Adou Thiero and Jonas Aidoo.
• Arkansas won the opening tip. The Razorbacks have won the tip in 16 of 20 games this year.
• D.J. Wagner scored the game’s first points, a layup in the lane at 19:37.
• Billy Richmond III was Arkansas’ first sub.
• The Arkansas and Oklahoma series includes 32 games dating back to the 1938-39 season. Arkansas owns a 17-15 advantage in the series, including an 8-6 record when the teams play in Fayetteville.
• This was the teams’ first meeting in Bud Walton Arena since Dec. 4, 2012, a game Arkansas won 81-78.
• The last three years, Arkansas and Oklahoma have met in the Crimson and Cardinal Classic at Tulsa’s BOK Center.
• Arkansas fell to 3-1 in one-possession games.

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