Freshmen Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas took over late as No. 15/16 Arkansas rallied in the final minutes to defeat Oklahoma 83-79 on Tuesday night at Lloyd Noble Center.
Acuff finished with 21 points and nine assists, including the decisive play with 20 seconds left when he went coast-to-coast for an old-fashioned three-point play that put Arkansas ahead for good. Thomas added 16 points, 14 of them in the second half, as the Razorbacks won their first game in Norman since 2011.
Oklahoma took a 79-77 lead with 1:27 remaining on a 3-pointer by Nigel Pack, who scored a game-high 22 points. Acuff answered by making one of two free throws, then grabbed a defensive rebound and converted the go-ahead basket moments later. Trevon Brazile blocked a shot on the Sooners next possession, and Thomas sealed the win by making two free throws with 11 seconds left.
Arkansas overcame a poor night from beyond the arc, shooting just 2 of 17 from 3-point range, by dominating inside. The Razorbacks outscored Oklahoma 56-30 in the paint and shot 71.7 percent on 2-point attempts, one of the best marks in program history.
Malique Ewin scored 12 points and Karter Knox added 11 for Arkansas (16-5, 6-2 SEC). Brazile finished with seven points, seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks.
Pack was 6 of 11 from 3-point range for Oklahoma (11-10, 1-7), while Mohamed Wague pulled down 12 rebounds. The Sooners made seven 3-pointers in the first half but were limited to 3 of 11 from deep after halftime.
Oklahoma led 48-44 at the break after Pack hit back-to-back 3-pointers late in the half. Arkansas trailed by as many as 13 points before cutting the deficit and staying within striking distance.
The second half featured five ties and 11 lead changes before Arkansas closed it out at the free-throw line.
Arkansas returns home Saturday to host Kentucky at Bud Walton Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 on ESPN.
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