The offensive balance of Oklahoma was on full display in the Sooners' 78-63 win over Arkansas at Lloyd Noble Arena on Saturday afternoon. Four Sooners scored double figure points as OU shot 52 percent from the field (26 of 50 field goal attempts).
Andrew Fitzgerald carried the scoring load in the first half with 17 points and Steven Pledger took over in the second half scoring 19 of his 22 points in the final 20 minutes. OU improved to 7-1 with the victory, suffering its lone loss to Saint Louis on Nov. 27.
The Sooners handled Arkansas’ pressure defense with ease, holding a double-digit lead throughout much of the game including the final 13:47 of regulation.
Player of the Game: Pledger. With Arkansas rallying in the second half and cutting the lead to six points, Pledger had a layup and buried two three-pointers during a 13-3 run as the Sooners extended the lead back to 16 points.
Unsung Hero: Tyler Neal. The sophomore provided a strong scoring boost off the bench with 18 points, four rebounds and three assists in 28 minutes. He was 5 of 9 from the field and 4 of 4 from the free throw line.
Key Stat: 17:45. The Razorbacks held a 4-1 lead with 17:45 left in the first half. Neal’s three-pointer tied the game at 4 and OU never trailed again and even extended the lead to 18 points with 3:57 left in the game.
Key Stat, Part II: 0. Cam Clark had 0 points on 0 of 3 shooting in 13 minutes after foul trouble forced him out of the game early. He never really found his offensive rhythm.
Quotable: “I thought they played great with one day of preparation for an Arkansas team that requires unique preparation. I thought they were fantastic defensively.” - Lon Kruger on his team holding Arkansas to 34.5 percent shooting.
“I was in the groove. My teammates got me the ball at the right times when I was open.” - Fitzgerald, who scored 17 first-half points on his 21st birthday.
“In the first half we just kept feeding Fitz, it’s his birthday and he was hot. Him hitting in the first half and me hitting in the second half with Tyler Neal being aggressive tonight, it was great.” - Pledger on OU’s offensive balance.
“I thought Tyler was great defensively. I thought he was the glue on the defensive end with helping and recovering and his awareness on the defensive end.” - Kruger on Neal’s complete game.