University of Oklahoma Athletics
University of Oklahoma
15-4,2-4SEC
Arkansas
12-8,1-6SEC
Sooners Win Thrilling Battle at Arkansas
January 25, 2025 | Men's Basketball
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Jeremiah Fears had 16 points and Jalon Moore scored the final three points of the game and finished with 13 as Oklahoma rallied to beat Arkansas 65-62 on Saturday night.
Johnell Davis buried a 3-pointer to pull Arkansas even at 62, but the Razorbacks went scoreless over the final 2:13. Moore made the first of two free throws with 1:15 remaining for a one-point lead and capped off the victory with a fastbreak dunk in the final second.
Fears made 4 of 8 shots with a 3-pointer and all seven of his free throws for the Sooners (15-4, 2-4 Southeastern Conference), who notched back-to-back victories after a four-game losing streak with their first conference road win this season. Moore hit 6 of 14 shots and added six rebounds.
Davis had 18 points on 5-for-16 shooting to lead the Razorbacks (12-8, 1-6), who have lost six of seven in their first season under John Calipari. D.J. Wagner totaled 13 points and five assists. Adou Thiero and reserve Zvonimir Ivisic both scored 10. Ivisic added six rebounds and four assists.
Brycen Goodine scored all nine of his points on 3-for-4 shooting from 3-point range to help Oklahoma take a 35-31 lead into halftime.
Davis made the second of two free throws to give Arkansas the lead at 42-41 with 12:47 remaining. Thiero and Ivisic hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put the Razorbacks up 50-44 with 10:06 to go. Luke Northweather and Fears were fouled on back-to-back 3-point attempts for Oklahoma and the pair made all six free throws to tie it at 50 a minute later.
Oklahoma travels to face No. 13 Texas A&M on Tuesday at 8 p.m. CT (televised by SEC Network) before returning to Lloyd Noble Center to host Vanderbilt on Saturday, Feb. 1, at 2:30 p.m. CT.
POSTGAME NOTES
• Oklahoma (15-4, 2-4 SEC) used a 21-12 run over the final 9:33 and beat Arkansas (12-8, 1-6) on the road Saturday night, 65-62.• The win was OU's third in the last four seasons against Arkansas and 10th in its last 15 meetings with the Razorbacks.
• The Sooners' victory was their first in three true road games this season. It also broke the Sooners' three-game losing streak in Fayetteville and was their first win at Bud Walton Arena since the 2001-02 Final Four squad posted a 69-54 triumph. OU is now 4-9 in Fayetteville (won three of its last six).
• Oklahoma held Arkansas to .370 field goal shooting, including a .333 mark in the second half. The Razorbacks' .370 field goal mark was the lowest by an OU opponent since the season opener (Lindenwood shot .354).
• OU entered the game ranked 15th out of 16 teams in league play with its -6.2 rebounding margin, but outboarded Arkansas 35-29. The Sooners outscored the Razorbacks 13-7 in second-chance points.
• Oklahoma scored 21 of its 35 first-half points from 3-point range, going 7 for 16 (.438). Guard Brycen Goodine was 3 for 4 from deep in the opening 20 minutes. After halftime, OU went 0 for 5 from behind the arc.
• Freshman guard Jeremiah Fears finished with a team-high 16 points with the help of 7-for-7 free throw shooting. It was his third straight game of at least 16 points and 18th double-digit effort in 19 outings this season.
• Senior forward Jalon Moore scored in double figures for the 14th straight game, finishing with 13 points, including a game-clinching dunk in the final second. He added six rebounds.
• Redshirt senior guard Duke Miles scored six points and pulled down a season-high seven rebounds, one shy of his career high. He was 2 for 2 at the free throw line and has made 29 of his last 30 attempts.
• OU, which entered the game ranked fifth nationally with its .803 season free throw percentage, went 16 for 20 (.800) at the stripe tonight, including 14 for 16 in the second half.
• The Sooners scored six fastbreak points to Arkansas' four. OU has been outscored in the category just once this season (by one point).
• OU took a 33-20 lead on a Glenn Taylor Jr. 3-pointer at the 4:05 mark of the first half but had to settle for a 35-31 halftime lead as Arkansas closed on a 9-2 run.
• The game featured 11 ties and five lead changes.
