RAZORBACKS used to one-point contests.

FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas basketball team’s 74-73 victory over Ole Miss on Saturday in Walton Arena was the fifth one-point game the Razorbacks have played this season.

That’s the most one-point games for Arkansas since the 1983-84 season, according to Hogstats.com, when the Razorbacks also played five.

“What has it been like?” Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson said. “It’s been more than interesting, I’ll put it that way.

“I tell you what, it’s some great teaching moments. That’s what it’s been. It tells me that our guys are still fighting and scratching and clawing.”

Arkansas is 3-2 in onepoint games this season. In addition to Ole Miss, the Razorbacks have beaten Indiana 73-72 in Walton Arena and LSU 90-89 on the road, and lost 78-77 to Western Kentucky in Walton Arena and 79-78 at Missouri.

“We may not have all the answers,” Anderson said. “We haven’t made all the right plays. But it’s not because we weren’t trying to.

“It’s a process. I know [reporters] write about it, but people don’t want to talk about it. But you’ve got to go through it. That’s the growing pains. It’s going to pay off this year. It’s going to pay off in years to come.

“Being in those moments, you learn a little more about yourself. I think that’s what has taken place with our team. So if we’re having those situations again, we know what to do. We may not do it, but we know what to do.”

When Arkansas previously played five onepoint games during the 198384 season, the Razorbacks went 4-1 under coach Eddie Sutton.

In one of the most memorable games the Razorbacks have ever played, they beat No. 1 North Carolina 65-64 on Charles Balentine’s last-second shot on Feb. 12 in the Pine Bluff Convention Center. The Razorbacks opened the season by beating Fordham 62-61 in the Great Alaska Shootout in Anchorage, then beat SMU 70-69 in Barnhill Arena and won 59-58 at Texas A&M. Their lone onepoint loss was to Houston 5756 in the SWC Tournament in Houston.

Arkansas played its most one-point games with seven, according to Hogstats.com, during the 1981-82 season. The Razorbacks won 51-50 at Nebraska, then in backback games won 67-66 over Houston in Barnhill Arena and 64-63 at Texas A&M. Then came losses to Wake Forest 49-48 at Barton Coliseum in Little Rock, and at Baylor 56-55 in overtime. Arkansas won 54-53 at SMU, then ended the season with a 65-64 loss to Kansas State in the NCAA Midwest Regional in Dallas.

NWA Democrat-Gazette/BEN GOFF Arkansas guard Keyshawn Embery-Simpson shoots as Ole Miss guard Breein Tyree defends in the Razorbacks’ 74-73 victory over Ole Miss on Saturday. Arkansas has played five one-point games this season and has won three of them.