NORMAN, Okla. _ Shorthanded again, the underdog University of Central Arkansas Bears took it to the No. 12/13 Oklahoma Sooners on Thursday night before falling 88-72 at the Lloyd Noble Center.

The Bears (3-11) played without two starters and a key sixth man against one of the top defensive teams in the country and held their own. UCA  was within five points at 71-66 with 7:53 remaining before the Sooners (11-1) pulled away to win their eighth home game in eight tries this season and rebound from its first loss of the season to the North Carolina.Tar Heels

UCA played without starters Elias Cato and Camren Hunter, along with sixth man and three-point threat Daniel Sofield, all due to injuries. 

The Sooners entered the game with a defense ranked 23rd in the nation in scoring (63.1 points allowed per game), 12th in three-point percentage allowed (27.1 percent) and 19th in field-goal percentage allowed (38.1 percent). UCA topped all those averages with 72 points, 33.3 percent from three-point range and 47.4 percent overall shooting. OU also had a 9.7 rebound margin through 11 games but only pulled down two more rebounds (33-31) than the Bears.

"Oklahoma is a really good team," said UCA head coach Anthony Boone, "and I told the guys that. I believe that Oklahoma is built for doing very well once they get to the NCAA Tournament. I really think they can make a run to the Elite Eight or the Final Four. I think they have that kind of team.

"But with that, our guys were up for the challenge today. Everything was urgent for them, and that was really the key. I thought we had some really good possessions defensively. And Oklahoma is an incredibly good defensive team. And I thought there were times when they just didn't have any answers for us. Our guys stuck with what our plan was. what we wanted to do, and did a great job with executing."

The Bears got a career-high 16 points from sophomore point guard Johannes Kirsipuu, who added five rebounds and three assists. Sophomore center Glory Etim was one basket short of his career high with 13 points, along with eight rebounds and two big first-half blocked shots. Senior Masai Olowokere and sophomore Carl Daughtery, Jr. rounded out UCA's double-figure scorers with 11 points each. Olowokere had a career-high six assists while hitting two of UCA's seven three-pointers.

"He (Kirsipuu) makes things happen," said Boone of the second-year point guard. "Last year we never knew what was going to happen  but he's a lot more calm than he was last year. At times we still don't know what's going to happen and at times that's a little scary for us. But our opponents don't know what's going to happen either.

"His teammates are learning him a little more and it's working out really well for us. He helps us get the pace of the game going, and we play better when we're that way. Today he was really good going to the basket. He's been one of the leaders in the nation in assists so teams have stopped helping on him. But they have to start honoring him when he's making shots and finishing at the basket like he did today.

"But just managing the game today, Yoyo was incredible. And I think that was, for the most part, what kept us in the game."

The back-and-forth first half saw 12 lead changes and eight ties before the Sooners made a pair of late three-pointers to grab a 50-42 lead at the break. The second half was a game of runs as the Bears opened with a 11-4 scoring burst that was quickly answered by an 11-0 run by the Sooners.

UCA immediately returned the favor with an 11-0 run of its own to creep back within five points with just under eight minutes left and force a Sooners' time out. But the lack of depth caught up with the Bears down the stretch as they sent the Sooners to the free-throw line four times where they made 7 of 8 to hold off the Bears.

Due to the depth issues, freshman Caleb Carr got eight solid minutes off the bench, scoring four points and pulling down four rebounds along with a steal. Freshman Javion Guy-King, a normal rotation player, had nine points off the bench. 

"There were a couple of times in the game I thought we got worn down a little bit and we turned the ball over a little more than we wanted to," said Boone. "But I was really proud of the guys' effort. And I want to challenge the guys to continue that kind of effort, that kind of urgency as we move on. It can't just be against Oklahoma. It needs to be (against) Missouri and Champion Christian and then as we go on into ASUN play.

"But I was very encouraged and very proud of the guys today."

UCA continues its Power 5 road trip on Saturday, taking on the Missouri Tigers at 2 p.m. at Mizzou Arena on the SEC Network.