Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
Arkansas
OSU Men's Basketball Upsets No. 21 Arkansas, 74-73
December 09, 2000 | Cowboy Basketball
Dec. 9, 2000
By KELLY KURT
Associated Press Writer
TULSA, Okla. - Oklahoma State coach Eddie Sutton watched his young team come of age Saturday night.
The Cowboys committed only four second-half turnovers as they rallied to beat No. 21 Arkansas 74-73.
"They were busting their fannies out there," Sutton said. "It was a game that you would see in the NCAA tournament. It certainly didn't look like an early season game."
The Cowboys (4-1) overcame a 12-point deficit and took the lead with 2 1/2 minutes remaining. Arkansas (6-2) trailed by two points when Maurice Baker hit two free throws with nine seconds left to seal the victory for Oklahoma State.
Baker led the game with a career-high 25 points, helping the Cowboys overcome 3-of-16 shooting from 3-point range.
"I told our kids that we were not aggressive enough in the last seven minutes of the game, and that they (Cowboys) were very aggressive," Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson said. "That makes a lot of difference in what happens."
Joe Johnson led Arkansas with 22 points, including a 3-pointer as time ran out. T.J. Cleveland and Teddy Gipson each added 11.
Arkansas moved ahead in the first half and held the lead for the first 15 1/2 minutes of the second. But Oklahoma State fought back to tie it at 62 on Victor Williams' 3-pointer.
That's when Baker came on strong up the middle with back-to-back baskets, gently depositing the second one as Oklahoma State took a lead it never gave up.
Fredrik Jonzen finished with 19 points, and Williams had 13.
The game opened with furious neck-and-neck battle under the baskets. The teams were tied at 19 midway through the first half when Arkansas finally found a break at 3-point range.
Jannero Pargo scored from outside at the 9:50 mark and three other Razorbacks were left wide open to sink a trio of 3-pointers. The 12-0 run put Arkansas ahead 31-19 with five minutes left.
Oklahoma State was only 2-for-10 from 3-point range in the first half.
It was the first meeting of the schools in 28 years, even though they're less than 200 miles apart. And it was the first time for Oklahoma State coach Eddie Sutton to play Arkansas, a team he coached for 11 years.
Sutton, who said he feels close ties to an Arkansas program he helped rebuild, termed the win "special" but said he didn't want to overplay his emotions.
"I hope the game will be just as exiting next year in Little Rock when we play there," he said.
