Arkansas Escapes Oklahoma With Late Surge to Win 83–79

It was the kind of night that lingered well after the final buzzer. Arkansas and Oklahoma traded punches deep into the closing minutes, the outcome unresolved until freshman guards Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas steadied the Razorbacks when it mattered most. Arkansas, ranked 15th and now 16–5 overall and 6–2 in SEC play, escaped Norman with an 83–79 road victory Tuesday, a win that demanded poise as much as execution.

For Arkansas fans, the result offered reassurance. Questions about whether the Razorbacks might again falter against a less formidable opponent crept back during an uneven first half, when Oklahoma dictated the tempo and carried a 48–44 lead into the break. But Arkansas did not unravel. Under John Calipari, the Razorbacks gathered themselves late in the half, closing with purpose and carrying a sense of control into the locker room despite the deficit.

What followed was a second half defined by tension and balance. Momentum shifted possession by possession, the lead changing hands 15 times, with neither team able to create breathing room. Until the final moments, the margin never stretched beyond three points, turning the game into a test of composure, patience, and late execution rather than separation.

A Back and Forth First Half

Oklahoma got on the board first with a layup from Wague. Early misses by Meleek Thomas and Nijel Pack kept the score close until Trevon Brazile finished at the rim to tie the game. Reid responded with a deep three, and after Wague split a pair of free throws, Arkansas countered with a Pringle putback slam and a layup from Acuff.

Pack added a midrange jumper before Brazile found Pringle for another easy basket. Knox then drained a corner jumper to give Arkansas its first lead of the night, and a forced shot clock violation helped the Razorbacks take a 10–8 advantage at the first break.

Oklahoma answered with a backdoor dunk from Davis and a three from Brown, but Arkansas stayed within striking distance. Knox continued to score, and a defensive play by Brazile led to a breakaway dunk that kept the Razorbacks close.

The Sooners surged to an 18–14 lead behind Reid, but Ewin steadied Arkansas with a personal 4–0 run. Oklahoma regained momentum, taking a 22–18 lead at the second media timeout. Arkansas responded with aggressive defense, converting turnovers into points to cut the deficit to 24–23.

Oklahoma then seized control with a decisive 14–2 run over a 2:37 stretch, building a 38–25 lead. Arkansas answered out of the timeout with baskets from Acuff and Knox, trimming the margin. Acuff hit a three to spark a 7–0 Razorbacks run, but Pack countered with back-to-back threes to push the Sooners’ lead back to 44–34.

Late in the half, Arkansas surged again. Brazile scored off a turnover, Acuff made free throws, and Pringle capped an 8–0 run with consecutive baskets. Brown closed the half by isolating Acuff and hitting a pull-up jumper at the buzzer, sending Oklahoma into halftime with a 48–44 lead.

Second Half Turns Into a Classic

Arkansas wasted no time after the break. Just 12 seconds into the half, Acuff found Knox for a three to cut the deficit to 48–47. After early misses on both sides, Oklahoma called a timeout following a loose ball scramble.

Knox fouled Wague, who made both free throws. Acuff missed a three, but Wague missed a jumper at the other end. Knox grabbed the rebound and finished a second chance layup over Pack. Acuff then hit a jumper after a Wague turnover to give Arkansas a 51–50 lead.

Davis made two free throws after being fouled by Pringle. Following several empty possessions, Thomas hit a tough midrange jumper to give Arkansas a 53–52 lead at the media timeout.

Acuff followed with a layup to make it 55–52. Davis and Acuff traded baskets before Brown scored to make it 57–56. Brazile had the ball stolen by Elatontsev, leading to a Nwankwo layup and a 58–57 Oklahoma lead. Acuff’s layup attempt was blocked by Jones, but Thomas scored on the ensuing possession. Calipari argued for calls moments later, and Wague was whistled for an offensive foul.

After missed jumpers by Knox and Brown, Brazile threw down a fast break alley oop from Acuff to give Arkansas a 61–58 edge. 

Jones answered with a corner three to tie the game 61–61 at the under 12 timeout. Richmond then recorded back to back steals, the first leading to a Thomas midrange jumper that put Arkansas ahead 63–61.

Davis and Thomas traded baskets, with Davis tying the game at 65–65. Brazile missed a three, Reid missed a breakaway layup, and Wague grabbed the offensive rebound, leading to a second chance three by Pack and a 68–67 Oklahoma lead as the crowd grew louder.

Out of the timeout, Thomas scored on a layup. Pringle fouled Davis, who made both free throws. Richmond answered by scoring through traffic to make it 70–69. Davis then turned the ball over, and Thomas finished a reverse layup to give Arkansas a 71–70 lead.

Knox was called for a foul on Reid that was upgraded to a flagrant foul after review. Reid made both free throws. Arkansas responded immediately with a quick 4–0 spurt, capped by an alley oop slam from Richmond.

Arkansas led 75–72 at the final media timeout. Brown hit a jumper, and both teams traded empty possessions. Ewin and Wague each made two free throws. Acuff missed a jumper, and Pack drilled a deep transition three to make it 79–77, forcing Calipari to call timeout.

Acuff was fouled and split the free throws. Brown missed a three, and Acuff secured the rebound before finishing a layup while being fouled. He converted the free throw for an and one, giving Arkansas an 81–79 lead with 20 seconds remaining.

Brown drove baseline on the final possession but was met by Brazile for a clean block. Thomas secured the rebound and calmly made both free throws to seal the 83–79 victory.

By the Numbers

Arkansas leaned on its interior game to carry the Razorbacks past Oklahoma, scoring 56 points in the paint and relying on crisp ball movement to rack up 16 assists. The team shot 35 of 63 from the field, a 55.6 percent clip, though it struggled from deep, connecting on just 2 of 17 three-pointers. Oklahoma, meanwhile, managed 29 of 63 from the floor (46 percent) and made 10 of 27 three-point attempts. The Sooners controlled the boards slightly, 34–31, but the Razorbacks’ efficiency around the rim and well-timed passing kept the game in their favor.

Freshmen Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas were the engines of Arkansas’s late surge. Acuff, the point guard, led the team with 21 points on 7 of 16 shooting, adding nine assists, though he made just 1 of 4 from three-point range. Thomas added 16 points on 7 of 15 attempts. Together, the duo accounted for 37 points, 24 of them in the second half, their clutch scoring proving decisive.

For Oklahoma, redshirt senior guard Nijel Pack carried the scoring load with 22 points, shooting 8 of 15 overall and making six of 11 from beyond the arc. Senior forward Tae Davis added 14 points on 5 of 12 shooting, trying to keep the Sooners close. Despite their contributions, Oklahoma could not overcome Arkansas’s dominance near the basket or the timely, poised play of the Razorbacks’ freshman backcourt.

Who Comes Next

With the victory, Arkansas claimed its third straight win and moved to 6–2 in SEC play. The Razorbacks will have several days to reset before returning home to host John Calipari’s former team, the Kentucky Wildcats, on Saturday, Jan. 31.

Tipoff from Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville is set for 5:30 p.m. CST, with the game scheduled for national television on ESPN.