OSU, calls don't stop Arkansas

Arkansas Razorbacks guard Daryl Macon (4) reacts following a play during a basketball game, Saturday, January 27, 2018 at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville. Arkansas Razorbacks beat the Oklahoma State Cowboys 66-65.

FAYETTEVILLE -- The Arkansas Razorbacks can declare themselves unofficial college basketball champions of Oklahoma this season.

The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville improved to 3-0 against teams from the Sooner State with a 66-65 victory over Oklahoma State on Saturday in Walton Arena in the Big 12-SEC Challenge.

UP NEXT

Arkansas men vs. Texas A&M

WHEN 8 p.m. Tuesday

WHERE Reed Arena, College Station, Texas

RECORDS Arkansas 15-6, 4-4 SEC; Texas A&M 13-8, 2-6

SERIES Arkansas leads 101-54

TELEVISION ESPNU

RADIO Razorback Sports Network

Earlier this season the Razorbacks beat Oklahoma 92-83 in Portland, Ore., in the Phil Knight Invitational and pounded Oral Roberts University -- which is located in Tulsa -- 104-69 in Walton Arena.

It's true Arkansas (15-6) isn't playing the University of Tulsa this season, but the Golden Hurricane (11-9) haven't been particularly impressive.

Among common opponents with the Razorbacks, Tulsa beat Oral Roberts 90-71 at home, lost 71-59 at Oklahoma State, beat Connecticut 90-88 in double overtime at home and lost 104-71 at Houston.

The Razorbacks blasted the Huskies 102-67 in Portland before losing at Houston 91-65.

Arkansas improved to 11-1 in Walton Arena this season in beating Oklahoma State (13-8) before an announced crowd of 18,057.

"I actually had the opportunity to play against some of the teams in this building and remember it vividly," said Cowboys Coach Mike Boynton, who was a point guard at South Carolina. "It's hard out there for a player.

"Arkansas is good and they're an NCAA Tournament team that will have a lot of success when they get back into SEC play."

Razorbacks senior guard Jaylen Barford, who came into the game averaging team-high 19.4 points, was held to a season-low six points by Oklahoma State. His previous low was seven points against Troy.

Barford -- who in the previous three games scored 28 at Florida, 23 against Ole Miss and 24 in double overtime at Georgia while hitting 28 of 46 shots -- was 2 of 11 against the Cowboys.

"I don't look at it as Jaylen struggling, he just had an off night shooting the basketball," Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson said. "Every night he's not going to be that guy.

"And you've got to remember now, Oklahoma State had something to do that. Maybe he was their target."

Senior guard Daryl Macon, who led the Razorbacks with 22 points, was scoreless at Oklahoma State last season.

"Sometimes you're going to get your average, sometimes you're not," Macon said. "There's been times this year, I've averaged 18 and gone out there and got four.

"It happens. You can't think about this after it's over. You just have to get back to the drawing board and see what you can do better the next game."

Fans spent much of the game booing an officiating crew that called 19 fouls on Arkansas and 16 on Oklahoma State.

Barford drew a personal foul and technical foul with 10:14 to play. Jeffrey Carroll hit both free throws that resulted from the technical foul to give Oklahoma State 51-50 lead.

"Most of the games we lost, those calls were really getting to us, and we didn't really play on the defensive end," Razorbacks senior guard Anton Beard said. "We would just let teams score.

"So what we've been talking about the last couple of weeks is keeping our mind focused on the goal. ... We just decided to ignore the call. Some stuff is going to happen. It's just part of the game."

Macon agreed the Razorbacks can't let officiating affect their play.

"Every game is not going to go your way with the refs," he said. "I mean, you've just got to let it go. You can't dwell on the moment.

"Whenever they make a bad call, you've just got to let it go and get it back on the next play. That's what we're getting better at."

There were several long delays in the game when officials were reviewing plays on the television monitor.

Macon said he convinced the officials to review a call -- that the ball went out of bounds off Arkansas -- with 11.1 seconds left and the Razorbacks leading 66-65.

"I mean, they're reviewing everything else," Macon said. "Review it. Use the rule."

After the replay, the officials upheld the call with the Cowboys keeping possession. Oklahoma State got off two shots in the final five seconds, but Carroll and Mitchell Solomon both missed.

"They actually had a good look to hit a game-winning layup," Macon said. "Then they missed a wide open tip in. So we were blessed to have that."

Arkansas broke a five-game losing streak to Oklahoma State and beat the Cowboys for the first time since a 90-86 victory on Dec. 13, 1971.

"I thought it was a great college basketball game," Boynton said. "Obviously, Arkansas probably feels a little bit better about it than I do.

"They've got a really good team and one of the best venues in college basketball for sure and they had it rolling. Credit to Coach Anderson and his staff for having his guys in position to claw back and find a way to win."

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Sports on 01/29/2018