It was a competitive game in Bud Walton Arena, where the Razorback fanbase was electric and the game went down to the wire. In the final moments, Arkansas basketball was down one with a chance to take the lead, but poor execution led to the Hogs falling to Oklahoma 65-62.
The Razorbacks relied heavily on their defense to keep them in the game. They forced Oklahoma to turn over the ball nine times in the second half deterring them to get into a rhythm offensively. However, offensive blunders cost Arkansas the game in the end. They went ice cold down the stretch, going scoreless over the final 2:13 of the game.
Beyond the Box Score: Oklahoma vs. Arkansas
Offensive Inconsistency
It felt like a roller-coaster ride throughout the game with many ups and downs for the Hogs. Inconsistency has been a major issue all season long, especially on the offensive end. This trend continued against Oklahoma as they had trouble putting it together for the full 40 minutes.
Arkansas started the game on a strong note, but Oklahoma soon took over and got out to a 13-point lead, and the Hog's offensive went into a lull. However, they finished the first half on a hot streak and cut the lead down to only four points.
In the second half, the Razorbacks struggled with offensive creation and efficiency. They relied on their defense to keep them in the game as they could not get into a rhythm on offense. They had a chance to gain the lead in the final seconds, but poor execution and an errant shot attempt cost them the game.
Player Notes
Even though it was an inefficient night, Johnell Davis had his highest-scoring game of the season with 18 points to go along with four steals, also a season-high. Hopefully, he can build on this game and gain enough confidence to be a leader of this team.
It's evident that Karter Knox is developing at a fast pace. He started the season making questionable decisions and not processing the game quickly enough to impact the game. Now, he's put together a few games where he consistently impacts both ends of the floor. He's becoming more confident as a shooter and is becoming more versatile on defense.
Zvonimir Ivisic is becoming more important for the Hogs as they get deeper into conference play. His rim protection is a valuable asset to have when playing against teams that can get to the basket with ease. If he can get back to being the lethal shooter he was earlier in the season, he could help fix some of the shooting issues this team has.