Oklahoma locks down on D late to beat Arkansas

Field Level Media|published: Sat 25th January, 23:32 2025

Jan 25, 2025; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Jeremiah Fears (0) drives against Arkansas Razorbacks forward Adou Thiero (3) during the first half at Bud Walton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Jalon Moore scored 13 points and hit the go-ahead free throw with 1:15 left in the game as Oklahoma ground out a 65-62 win over Arkansas on Saturday in Fayetteville, Ark.

The Sooners' defense held the Razorbacks scoreless for the last 2:13.

Jeremiah Fears scored 16 points and Brycen Goodine chipped in nine points for the Sooners (15-4, 2-4 in Southeastern Conference play), who have won two straight games after losing the previous four.

Johnell Davis scored a game-high 18 points, D.J. Wagner added 13 points and Zvonimir Ivisic and Adou Thiero each tallied 10 points for Arkansas (12-8, 1-6).

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

Moore's breakaway slam at the buzzer provided the final margin.

After a Glenn Taylor Jr. layup put Oklahoma up 62-59, Davis tied the game with a corner 3-pointer with 2:13 to play.

Arkansas pushed its lead to 50-45 when Thiero hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key, the Razorbacks' defense got a stop and Ivisic hit a three from the wing with 10:06 left in the game.

Oklahoma took its first lead at 12-10 on a Moore layup that was part of an 8-0 run.

The Sooners stretched their lead to 24-16 as Goodine heated up from 3-point range. He drilled a trey on three straight Sooners possessions.

On a screen-and-roll with Fears, Godwin hammered home an alley-oop dunk as OU took a 26-16 lead. Thiero hit a pair of free throws on the next Arkansas possession, but Godwin flew in for a two-handed dunk to cap a 13-5 Sooners run.

But the Razorbacks closed the half on an 11-2 run. Ivisic left his signature on the rally when he followed up a blocked shot of a Godwin dunk attempt with a transition 3-pointer to cut the Sooners lead to 33-29. Fears hit a pair of foul shots for OU, but Davis' tip at the 18-second mark before halftime cut the Sooners' lead to 35-31.

--Field Level Media

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