NORMAN, Okla. — With the noise rising and the margin shrinking, Meleek Thomas walked to the free-throw line after a timeout from John Calipari and calmly finished the job.
Thomas knocked down two free throws in the final seconds and Arkansas held off Oklahoma 83-79 on Tuesday night, closing out a tense road win that required patience more than style.
The Razorbacks didn’t shoot many threes. They didn’t need to.
What they did instead was protect the ball late, make free throws when it mattered, and get just enough stops to leave Norman with another SEC win.
Thomas finished with 16 points, but his final two were the most important. They pushed the Hogs from a two-point edge to a four-point cushion after Calipari stopped play to set up the final sequence.
Arkansas improved to 16-5 overall and 6-2 in SEC play, while Oklahoma dropped to 11-10 and 1-7.
Paint points over perimeter shooting
The Hogs shot 55.6% from the field, even though they made just 2 of 17 attempts from three-point range.
Arkansas leaned into the paint and transition chances rather than forcing perimeter shots that weren’t falling.
Darius Acuff Jr. led Arkansas with 21 points and nine assists, controlling the pace and keeping the offense moving when possessions tightened late.
His ability to attack off the dribble created openings, even when the Sooners tried to crowd him.
Oklahoma built much of its first-half lead from the outside. The Sooners hit 7 of 16 three-pointers before halftime, helping them take a 48-44 lead into the break.
Arkansas stayed within reach by finishing inside, shooting better than 61% in the first half, and avoiding long scoring droughts.
Momentum swings late
The second half stayed close nearly the entire way. Neither team led by more than six points after halftime, and the game turned into a possession-by-possession test.
With 4:31 remaining, Oklahoma briefly took the lead after free throws following a Flagrant 1 foul. The Sooners had a chance to seize control, but Arkansas responded without rushing.
Acuff answered with a driving basket, and Arkansas continued to attack downhill rather than settle.
That approach paid off again in the final minute.
With 21 seconds left, Acuff converted a three-point play that put Arkansas back in front 81-79.
That set up the defensive stand and the timeout that followed.
Closing the door
After Calipari gathered his team, Arkansas defended the rim. Trevon Brazile blocked a layup attempt with under 15 seconds remaining, forcing Oklahoma to foul.
Thomas stepped to the line and made both free throws. That sequence gave the Razorbacks enough breathing room to survive the final possession and walk off with the win.
Oklahoma was led by Nijel Pack’s 22 points, including 16 in the first half, but the Sooners struggled to find clean looks late as Arkansas tightened defensively.
The Hogs didn’t dominate any one category. They didn’t need to. They made plays in small moments, trusted their spacing, and executed just enough to finish the job.
Road wins in the SEC rarely come clean. This one didn’t either.
Arkansas showed it can win without a hot shooting night from deep. The Razorbacks stayed disciplined, leaned on ball movement, and closed with free throws and rim protection.
The Hogs return home next to host Kentucky on Saturday, while Oklahoma stays in Norman to face Texas.
