Oklahoma locks d late to beat Arkansas

On By Littum

NCAA Basketball: Oklahoma in ArkansasJanuary 25, 2025; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Oklahoma Soners guard Jeremiah Fears (0) runs against Arkansa’s Razorback striker Adou Thiero (3) in the first half at Bud Walton Arena. Mandatory credit: Nelson Chenault-Images Images

Jalon Moore scored 13 points and hit the free throw with 1:15 left of the match when Oklahoma beat a 65-62 victory over Arkansas on Saturday in Fayetteville, ARK.

The Sooners’ Defense held Razorback’s speechless the last 2:13.

Jeremiah Fears scored 16 points and Brycen Goodine chipped nine points into Sooners (15-4, 2-4 in Southeastern Conference), which has won two games in a row after losing the previous four.

Johnell Davis scored 18 points, DJ Wagner added 13 points, and Zvonimir Ivisic and Adou Thiero each got 10 points for Arkansas (12-8, 1-6).

After Moore’s free throw, Oklahoma gave a lead of 63-62, Davis forced a long 3-pointer that was short on the subsequent Arkansas possession. A moving screen call then led to Oklahoma’s ninth turnover in the second half, but Davis missed a layup on Razorbacks’ last shot attempt.

Moore’s eruption sludge at the buzzer gave the last margin.

After a Glenn Taylor Jr. Layup, Oklahoma brought up 62-59, Davis equalized the match with a 3-Pointer with 2:13 back.

Arkansas pressed his lead to 50-45 when Thiero beat a 3-pointer from the top of the key, Razorback’s defense got a stop, and Ivisic beat a three from the wing with 10:06 of the match.

Oklahoma took his first lead at 12-10 on a moore-layup that was part of an 8-0 race.

The Soners outstretched their lead to 24-16 as Goodine warmed up from 3-point reach. He drilled a trey on three straight Sooner’s possessions.

On a screen-and-roll with Fears, Godwin hammered a spawning-oop dunk home when OU led 26-16. Thiero hit a few free throw on the next Arkansas possession, but Godwin flew in for a two-handed dunk to close a 13-5 Sooners race.

But Razorbacks closed the half-time on a run of 11-2. Ivisic left his signature on the rally as he followed up on a blocked shot from a Godwin Dunk attempt with a transition-3-pointer to reduce the Sooners lead to 33-29. Fear hit a few bad shots for OU, but Davis ‘tip at the 18-second brand before half reduced Soners’ lead to 35-31.

-Field level media