TULSA, Okla. — For the third time since taking over the Razorbacks, Eric Musselman has been ejected – and now two of them have been in Arkansas vs Oklahoma.
The fifth-year coach was tossed early in a media timeout with 15:50 remaining and the Razorbacks trailing by 15. He was furious about something, but has been on the officials all game.
It was a tie game with a little over 4 minutes remaining in the first half, but Oklahoma ended the half on a 14-2 run and then seemingly firmly took control of the game with a 12-0 run that included the free throws that resulted from the technical.
Counting the two technicals on Musselman, there have been seven combined technicals in this game.
Two years ago, Musselman was ejected late in an 88-66 blowout loss to the Sooners. He was also ejected from a blowout loss to Missouri in 2021. Before that, it had been more than 22 years since an Arkansas basketball coach was ejected. That was Nolan Richardson, who was tossed vs. North Texas on Dec. 30, 1998.
KenPom Predicts ’94 Title Game Score for Arkansas vs Oklahoma
Games aren’t played by computers, but one of the most well-known analytics website spit out a familiar score for the Arkansas vs Oklahoma matchup Saturday afternoon.
According to KenPom, the Sooners have a 65% chance to beat the Razorbacks at the BOK Center in their final meeting as non-conference foes and are projected to win 76-72. That, of course, was the score of Arkansas’ win over Duke in the 1994 national championship game – just with the result flipped.
Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on ESPN2.
It’s the third edition of the Crimson and Cardinal Classic, with the two teams splitting the first two matchups. Oklahoma upset No. 12 Arkansas 88-66 two years ago, but the No. 9 Razorbacks got their revenge with an 88-78 win last season.
This will once again be a ranked vs. unranked matchup, but the opposite of the first two, as Oklahoma is undefeated and ranked No. 19 in this week’s AP Poll. Arkansas dropped out of the top 25 with a 1-2 showing in the Bahamas and are still unranked with a 6-3 record.
Best of Arkansas Sports made the trip to Tulsa and will provide updates from the Arkansas vs Oklahoma game below…
(READ NEXT: Check out our in-depth preview of the Arkansas vs Oklahoma matchup)
LIVE UPDATES – Arkansas vs Oklahoma
Pregame Tidbits
Trevon Brazile made the trip and doesn’t have a noticeable limp or anything during pregame warmups. He’s honestly moving around well for a guy who suffered a “severe” ankle sprain in the Furman game on Monday. That said, he didn’t look quite as explosive as usual when going up for a dunk. According to Chuck Barrett on the UA pregame radio show, Brazile is available.
15:59, 1H – Oklahoma 6, Arkansas 3
Arkansas won the tip, but came up empty on its first possession. Oklahoma capitalized with a layup on its first possession.
The Hogs get on the board with a 3 by Ellis. He pulled up with a guy in his face.
Some good defense by Davis led to a turnover by the Sooners, but then the Razorbacks showed total lack of awareness of the shot clock and didn’t even get a shot off.
Khalif Battle is the first guy off the bench for Arkansas. He replaced Mark about 2.5 minutes in. However, the Razorbacks committed yet another shot clock violation. They were once again completely unaware of the clock, but this time Battle at least hoisted up a deep 3 that missed everything.
An offensive rebound by Davis led to a wide open look from the wing for Brazile, but he missed.
Davis is whistled for a foul to bring us to the U16 media timeout.
11:39, 1H – Arkansas 13, Oklahoma 13
Mitchell checked in during the timeout and immediately blocked a shot.
He was off balance, but Battle knocked down a 3 on the other end to tie it up. Best sequence for the Hogs so far.
Great pass by Mark leads to a layup by Mitchell, giving Arkansas its first lead of the day.
A steal by Davenport leads to a mid-range jumper by Mark. It’s a 7-0 run by the Hogs.
Brazile checks out and immediately goes to the stationary bike. He’s probably gotta stay loose while not playing.
The 7-0 run ends with an Oklahoma 3. It came after some stellar defense, but the Hogs left a man open in the corner.
Wow. What a great move by Hugley. Spin move to a layup that puts Oklahoma back on top.
It’s now a 7-0 run for Oklahoma after a layup by McCollum. Davenport ended with a 3.
It’s back and forth. This is fun. Arkansas forced a turnover to send us to the U12 media timeout.
Five different Hogs have made a shot, but none of them have made more than one.
7:53, 1H – Oklahoma 17, Arkansas 15
Jalen Graham with a nice block. He hasn’t been a big shot blocker at Arkansas, but that was nice.
After more than three minutes without scoring, Arkansas got a shot to fall when Graham followed a miss by Battle and slammed it home.
Graham notched yet another block and it leads to a run out. Battle took it to the rack, but was fouled hard. He was slow to get up, but he seems okay.
3:10, 1H – Oklahoma 27, Arkansas 23
Battle made both free throws to tie it up.
On the next Oklahoma possession, Brazile came away with a steal. Arkansas nearly gave it right back, but Ellis saved the ball and eventually drove to the basket to draw a foul. He made both of his free throws, too.
What a play. Davis knocked the ball loose after his guy drove by him and then ran down the floor to catch a pass from Brazile and throw down the fast break dunk.
Graham just picked up a questionable foul. Muss is not happy about it.
Oklahoma went just 1 of 2 at the line on back-to-back trips to the charity stripe. Meanwhile, Battle just knocked down two more. The Hogs are now 6 of 6 at the line.
Davis just tried to go 1-on-3 and it didn’t work. Led to another bucket for Oklahoma, extending its lead to four.
Mark lost the ball on Arkansas’ next possession and there was a jump ball. The Sooners will have possession when play resumes out of the U4 media timeout.
Nearly 17 minutes into the game, no Arkansas player has more than one FG. Battle leads the way with 7 points, but he’s just 1 of 6 shooting. The other four points have come at the free throw line.
HALF – Oklahoma 37, Arkansas 25
Brazile picks up his second foul at the 2:57 mark. Soares made both free throws to push the lead to six.
On the other end, Graham grabbed an offensive rebound and managed to score to momentarily stop the bleeding.
Musselman uses a rare timeout with 1:56 left after Oklahoma scored back-to-back easy layups. Arkansas lost Oweh cutting to the basket and then didn’t box him out, leading to an easy offensive rebound and put back.
Really bad finish to the half by the Hogs. Mitchell is called for a foul with 1:14 left, leading to Hugley going 2 of 2 at the line. That makes it a 10-point game.
Battle turned it over and then committed a foul 80 feet from the basket. Oklahoma made both free throws.
Graham made a deep 3, but he let it go after the buzzer. Just a miserable last few minutes of the half for Arkansas, which was outscored 14-2 over the final 4:11.
15:50, 2H – Oklahoma 48, Arkansas 33
Layden Blocker replaces El Ellis to start the second half.
The Razorbacks open the half with a mid-range jumper by Mark. Blocker then came away with a steal and pushed it up the floor. He was fouled going to the basket. He made both, giving Arkansas the first four points after halftime.
Oklahoma is whistled for a travel on its second possession, so it’s yet another turnover. This one led to a jumper by Mark around the free throw line. It bounced around the rim before falling through.
After Arkansas failed to secure the rebound after a missed 3 by Oklahoma, McCollum knocked one down.
Then Brazile is called for an offensive foul. It’s his third foul of the game and it comes with 18:19 left.
Mark drove to the basket and drew a foul, but a double technical was called in the aftermath. It was Lawson for Arkansas and Moore for Oklahoma.
It looked like Arkansas had a stop, as McCollum missed a 3, but Blocker fouled him late. Instead of getting the ball back with a 7-point deficit, it’s a 10-point margin again because he made all three free throws.
Now Mark is whistled for a foul on an Oklahoma shooter. There have been eight total fouls called in the first 3:19 of the second half.
Arkansas got a deflection, but instead of resulting in a turnover, it led to some nifty ball movement by the Sooners and Darthard drilled a 3.
As the game goes to the U16 media timeout, Eric Musselman is ejected. He is furious about something.
12:23, 2H – Oklahoma 57, Arkansas 38
After the technical free throws, Oklahoma leads by 17.
Davenport missed a 3 and the Sooners hit a floater to make it a 12-0 run and a 19-point lead.
The run is finally snapped when Mitchell was fouled, but he made only 1 of 2 free throws. He got fouled again and this time made 2 of 2.
Battle was fouled after a turnover and also made two free throws, cutting the deficit to 14.
And just like that it’s back to 19. Keith Smart calls a timeout at the 12:23 mark.
7:52, 2H – Oklahoma 67, Arkansas 51
After Oklahoma missed the front end of a 1 and 1, Davenport drilled a 3 to pull the Hogs within 12.
However, McCollum answered with a bucket through contact. He made the free throw to complete the old-fashioned 3-point play.
Davenport is feeling it. This time, he knocked down a little turnaround jumper in the pain. Unfortunately for Arkansas, Oklahoma answered with a 3 by Uzan.
Davenport is fouled on a 3. He made all three free throws and suddenly has 11 points. That’s a season high.
3:29, 2H – Oklahoma 74, Arkansas 58
A driving layup by Battle gives Arkansas its first points by someone other than Davenport in nearly three minutes.
Blocker scored after a 1 of 2 trip to the line by Oklahoma and it’s a 14-point margin.
Oweh answered with a 3 for the Sooners.
Joseph Pinion checks in for the first time with 4:52 left. He missed a 3 on Arkansas’ first possession with him in the game and then committed a foul going for the rebound.
Pinion made his next 3, but he stepped out of bounds before firing it, so it’s no good.
FINAL – Oklahoma 79, Arkansas 70
Buckets by Graham and Blocker have pulled the Razorbacks within 12. That was as close as they’d get until Pinion made a free throw with 11.3 seconds left that made it 11.
A turnover and Graham dunk with 5.8 seconds remaining made it the final score.
FINAL STATS
(Final stats will be added when they are made available.)
HALFTIME STATS
Starting Lineups
| Oklahoma Basketball | Arkansas Basketball |
|---|---|
| #2 – Javian McCollum – G | #3 – El Ellis – G |
| #3 – Otega Owen – G | #4 – Davonte Davis – G |
| #10 – Sam Godwin – F | #12 – Tramon Mark – G |
| #14 – Jalon Moore – F | #2 – Trevon Brazile – F |
| #12 – Milos Uzan – G | #8 – Chandler Lawson – F |
How to Watch Arkansas vs Oklahoma
Date: Saturday, Dec. 9
Location: BOK Center (Tulsa, Okla.)
Tipoff Time/TV: 3 p.m. CT (ESPN2)
ESPN BPI: Oklahoma has a 60.1% chance of winning, favored by 2.8 points.
Odds/Betting Line: Oklahoma, -3.5 | O/U 145.5
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