Oklahoma Pulls Away from Mississippi Valley State to Earn First Win of 2026-27

NORMAN — For the first time of the 2026-27 season, the Sooners are in the win column.

Oklahoma beat Mississippi Valley State 84-57 at McCasland Field House on Friday. The win moves OU to 1-1 after the Sooners lost 68-64 to East Texas A&M in their season opener on Monday.

The Sooners shot 47 percent from the field and made 13 of their 40 three-point attempts. OU played an exceptional defensive game, forcing 17 turnovers and holding MVSU to a 36-percent clip from the field.

Here are three takeaways from Friday’s game:

Transfer B.J. Edwards shines

Oklahoma Sooners, B.J. Edwards — Oklahoma guard B.J. Edwards drives against Mississippi Valley State. | Carson Field / Sooners On SI

Guard B.J. Edwards, who transferred to OU before the season, was a standout against the Delta Devils.

Edwards notched a team-high 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting. The guard also went 4-for-6 on 3-pointers.

Edwards’ strong performance followed his rough OU debut on Monday. Against the Lions, he scored only three points on 1-of-7 shooting in 29 minutes, and he also went 1-of-5 on free-throw attempts.

"This is the impact he has on the team," OU coach Porter Moser said. "I told him he just hadn’t been in a rhythm because he hasn’t gotten the reps. Every time he was on the floor, it seemed like there was an impact."

Edwards said, "Keeping my head into the game, just flushing the loss away. We can't do anything to go back to that, so (we're) just thinking about the future."

Standing 6-foot-3, Edwards is playing his fifth college basketball season. He played one season at Tennessee before spending the last three years at SMU.

Ball control still an issue

Oklahoma Sooners, Duke Brennan — Oklahoma center Duke Brennan tries to corral a rebound against Mississippi Valley State. | Carson Field / Sooners On SI

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Even though the Sooners won comfortably, they didn’t look particularly sharp in a lot of areas on Friday.

OU committed 12 turnovers. Duke Brennan and Xzayvier Brown each logged three turnovers, while Dayton Forsythe committed two.

Against East Texas A&M, the Sooners turned the ball over 15 times.

"We have to eliminate those," Moser said. "12 of the turnovers... at least six were avoidable."

The Sooners also dropped a handful of easy rebounds underneath their own basket. The Delta Devils ended the game with 15 second-chance points.

Starting guard returns from injury

Oklahoma Sooners, Xzayvier Brown — Oklahoma guard Xzayvier Brown drives against Mississippi Valley State. | Carson Field / Sooners On SI

Brown missed the opener with a lower-body injury, but he was back in the lineup against the Delta Devils.

Brown, playing his second season at OU, finished the game with five points on 2-of-6 shooting. He also registered seven assists and one rebound during his 27 minutes on the court.

While Brown’s stat line wasn’t overly flashy, his presence is vital for the Sooners. Last year, Brown averaged 15.4 points, 3.3 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game and started in all 37 contests.

Brown began his college career at St. Joseph’s before transferring to Oklahoma. His stepfather, Justin Scott, is an assistant coach for the Sooners.

The Sooners will be back at the Lloyd Noble Center on Monday, when they host North Alabama.

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