David Patrick helps Oklahoma to upset win over his former team Arkansas
The University of Oklahoma, whose coaching staff includes Bermudian David Patrick, pulled off a major upset in the Big 12 Conference at the weekend.
Oklahoma achieved an impressive 88-66 victory over Patrick’s former team and No 12 ranked Arkansas to hand them their first loss of the season at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Saturday.
Senior guard Elijah Harkless led the charge with 21 points, while senior forward Tanner Groves, the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week, and junior guard Umoja Gibson chipped in with 16 and 12 respectively.
Harkless also dominated the paint as he grabbed 11 rebounds off the offensive board in a fine all display.
Sophomore guard Davontae Davis led Arkansas with a game-high 26 points, including four of his team’s seven three-pointers from beyond the arc.
Oklahoma improved their season record to 8-2 after securing a second win over a top-25 team in the month, having beaten then ranked No. 14 Florida 74-67 on December 1.
Arkansas slipped to 9-1.
The brilliant display was the perfect response for Patrick’s team who went into the game fresh off a heartbreaking 66-62 overtime loss to Butler four days earlier on their home court at the Lloyd Noble Center.
Oklahoma seized early control and jumped out to a 13-0 advantage before their previously unbeaten rivals got on the board.
Arkansas chipped away to shave the deficit to six points having gone into the dressing room at the half trailing 39-33 to keep the game evenly poised.
Oklahoma also got off to a flying start in the second half, scoring 11 of the first 13 points, before Arkansas rallied on the back of Davis’ sharp shooting from three-point range.
Arkansas embarked on a 19-7 run to move within three points of Oklahoma’s 57-54 advantage with 10 minutes remaining in the game.
However, that was as close as they got, as Groves and Gibson found their range from beyond the arc to put the game beyond Arkansas’ reach.
Oklahoma outscored their opponents 29-6 down the final stretch to complete the upset and bring Arkansas’s 17 -game regular-season win streak to a grinding halt.
Meanwhile, Patrick is off a solid start in his first season as assistant head coach at Oklahoma.
He served as associate head coach under Eric Musselman during a stellar single season at Arkansas, whom he helped guide to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 26 years.
The 45-year-old also served two seasons as head coach at the University of California-Riverside and is a former scout of two-time NBA champions, Houston Rockets.