Sooners hand UAPB 2nd loss

Forward Jalen Hill made 8 of 10 field goals and finished with a game-high 22 points to help the University of Oklahoma defeat the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff 66-58 in men’s basketball Friday night in Norman, Okla.

UAPB (1-2) played its third game in the first week of the season, losing to Texas Christian University by one point and blowing out Champion Christian College before heading back west to the Lloyd Noble Center.

The Golden Lions kept things close the entire game, as the lead changed hands 12 times and the score was tied six times.

Shaun Doss Jr. finished with 17 points, and Ismael Plet pulled off a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Lions.

Kylen Milton threw down a dunk to give UAPB a 22-20 lead with 5:43 left before halftime.

The basket made for his only points of the half, but the point guard finished with 13.

Oklahoma (1-1), which came off a 52-51 loss to Sam Houston State University, led UAPB 30-26 at halftime. Hill shot 4 for 5 from the floor and scored 11 points in each half, while Grant Sherfield awoke after a scoreless first half to finish with 16 points.

Sherfield went 6 for 6 at the foul line. Milos Uzan added 11 points for the Sooners.

The Sooners led by as many as 8 points twice in the second half. UAPB whittled the deficit down to 58-56 with a Milton layup at the 2:27 mark, but they were shut out from the field the rest of the way.

Milton made 2 free throws with 24 seconds left to draw the Lions within four.

The Sooners made 4 of 4 free throws from there to wrap up the win.

UAPB shot 23 for 56 (41.1%) from the floor, going 3 for 10 from 3-point range. The Lions made 9 of 13 free throws (69.2%).

Oklahoma shot 22 for 46 (47.8%) from the field but was only 3 for 14 from the arc, and made 19 of 28 free throws (67.9%).

UAPB will visit Mississippi State University for a 2 p.m. tipoff Sunday.

The game will be streamed on ESPN+.

Mississippi State improved to 2-0 after beating the University of Akron 73-54 on Friday.