FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas Razorbacks guard Daryl Macon did not score in last year's lopsided loss at Oklahoma State.
The senior made up for the poor showing with a game-high 22 points off the bench as the Razorbacks held on for a 66-65 victory over the Cowboys on Saturday at Bud Walton Arena.
Macon went 0 for 8, including 0 for 6 from three-point range, in 25 minutes during the Hogs' 99-71 loss in Stillwater, Okla.
"I wasn't even thinking about last year," Macon said. "What did I have, zero points last year? Yeah, I wasn't even thinking about it. I just went out there and played ball. When you're playing this game, things happen. Sometimes you're not going to get your average, sometimes you are."
Macon made 7 of 13 shots, including 4 of 7 from three-point range, on Saturday. With Arkansas trailing 24-11, Macon hit back-to-back three-point shots to make it 24-17.
"I thought it was big for us," Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson said. "We were down double figures and ... before you know it we had the lead down to single digits in the first half, so he was big in a lot of ways."
Macon, who has scored 22, 25 and 20 points in the last three games, all off the bench, said he tries to play hard whether he's starting or as a reserve.
"I want to show people that it doesn't matter if I come off the bench or start," Macon said. "I've got to go hard for my team. It's my last year and I feel like I've got something to prove still."
Tight squeeze
The Razorbacks improved to 10-1 in their last 11 one-possession games, with a 78-75 loss at Mississippi State on Jan. 2 the only setback in that span.
Arkansas' last four home victories have come by a combined 10 points.
Dustin does it
Arkansas senior Dustin Thomas posted a career-best 10 rebounds against the Cowboys. Thomas also scored nine points, which included 5-of-6 free-throw shooting.
"I thought Dustin was really big," Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson said. "He had 10 rebounds, probably the most of his career. He almost had a double-double, and for a guy that two games ago didn't even play."
Thomas' previous high in rebounds had been nine, which he has accomplished twice. His nine points were the most since he scored 10 against Cal State-Bakersfield on Dec. 27.
Shots off
The Arkansas starting five combined to shoot 8 of 31 (.258) from the field, including 2 of 11 for both Jaylen Barford and Anton Beard.
Barford hit two three-point shots 43 seconds apart in the first five minutes and then missed his final nine shots.
Dry spell
Oklahoma State went 2 of 18 from the field in the final 16:29, including an 0 of 9 stretch that lasted 8:09, and an 0 of 7 stretch in the final 7:33. The Cowboys scored 11 of their last 16 points from the free-throw line.
Asked about Arkansas' defensive pressure, Oklahoma State forward Cameron McGriff said, "It's not anything we haven't seen before. A lot of teams similar to West Virginia, Texas Tech, like to crawl up in you. ... Just down the stretch I think we got a little rattled, I'd say."
4 fouls, 1 trip
Moments after the Razorbacks took their first lead of the game, 50-49, on Arlando Cook's tip-in with 10:50 left, Arkansas drew four fouls in short order that sent its top two scorers to the bench.
Cook picked up a foul 11 seconds after his basket. On the ensuing inbound play, Daryl Macon was called for a reach-in foul and was quickly taken out of the game by Mike Anderson.
Five seconds later, referee Ron Groover called a foul on Arkansas guard Jaylen Barford as Oklahoma State's Jeffrey Carroll extended his left arm against Barford on the perimeter. Barford objected to the call by smacking his fist into his hand and Groover called a technical foul, the Hogs' fourth in 36 seconds.
"I thought it was a play on, really, to tell you the truth," Anderson said. "I don't know if Jaylen said anything. I know I was disgusted down there when it took place, when the foul was called.
"But in terms of what took place, a lot of talking was going on out there, so maybe the official, he was going to get the next guy. And Jaylen happened to be that next guy."
Quick hole
Oklahoma State put Arkansas in a 9-0 hole in the first 3:10 behind a three-pointer from Lindy Waters III and four points from 7-0 center Mitchell Solomon.
The Razorbacks pulled back within 9-8 during a frenzied 43-second segment in which the ball never crossed half court.
Jaylen Barford started the scoring with a three-point shot from the left corner at the 16:26 mark. Dustin Thomas stole the inbound pass and fed it to Anton Beard for a layup. Oklahoma State guard Brandon Averette slid his pivot foot while in a trap and the turnover led to another Barford three-pointer from the left corner.
The Cowboys then stretched their lead to 12 with an 11-0 run fueled by a trio of three pointers from Jeffrey Carroll and Thomas Dziagwa.
Short-handed OSU
Oklahoma State played without two of its top three scorers, guards Tavarius Shine, who has a wrist injury, and Kendall Smith, who has the flu.
Brandon Averette was the Cowboys' only point guard and he went 4 of 11, with 10 points, 4 assists and 4 turnovers in his 36 minutes.
"It's not ideal, but anybody who knows me or has talked to me before knows I'm not an excuse maker," Oklahoma State Coach Mike Boynton said. "We put ourselves in position to win the game. We just didn't finish the right way."
At the Bud
Former Arkansas head coaches Eddie Sutton and Nolan Richardson were both in attendance. Sutton, of Bucklin, Kan., played at Oklahoma State and also coached the Cowboys.
"Oh, it was fabulous," Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson said of the two Hall of Fame coaches. "I heard them over the speaker call their names out and you can just tell by the tremendous applause, the standing ovation, what these guys meant to Arkansas basketball."
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey attended the game and was hanging out with Arkansas Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek, who spent part of the early afternoon watching the Razorbacks' baseball practice.
Tip ins
• The Razorbacks ran their streak of home victories on Saturday to 11 games.
• Arkansas is now 2-2 in the Big 12/SEC Challenge, 2-0 at home and 0-2 on the road.
• Daniel Gafford's only playing time after picking up his fourth foul with 5:52 left came on the Hogs' final offensive possession, when he tipped in Anton Beard's miss for the final score with 16.2 seconds remaining.
• The Razorbacks held a moment of silence during pregame activities on the 17th anniversary of a plane crash that killed 10 people, including two Oklahoma State players and six staff members, outside Denver, Colo., after a game at Colorado.
• The Razorbacks played in front of their fifth sellout crowd and their fourth Saturday sellout in a row, following victories over Tennessee, Missouri and Ole Miss. The first sellout came for an 88-63 victory over Troy in North Little Rock at Verizon Arena. Arkansas has announced that its home game against Kentucky on Feb. 20 also is a sellout.
Sports on 01/28/2018