Strong Second Half Carries Oklahoma to Neutral-Site Win Over Marquette

Oklahoma took advantage of a major opportunity on Friday afternoon.

The Sooners beat Marquette 75-74 in a neutral-site game at the United Center in Chicago. OU improves to 5-2 with the win, and it is the Sooners’ first victory against a power-conference opponent in 2025-26.

Here are three takeaways from the Sooners’ defeat:

Stellar second half

After facing a four-point deficit at halftime, Oklahoma rallied in the final 20 minutes.

In the middle of the second half, the Sooners went on a 20-5 run to take a 58-55 lead. OU also played exceptionally defensively, holding Marquette to a 2-of-14 clip on field goals in a five-minute stretch late in the game.

The Golden Eagles, though, didn’t go away. They erased a seven-point deficit with two minutes left and tied the game with 55 seconds remaining.

Oklahoma’s Derrion Reid hit a 3-pointer moments later before Marquette responded with free throws to make it a one-point game. After the Sooners turned the ball over on their ensuing possession, transfer forward Tae Davis played exceptional defense on the Golden Eagles’ last-second shot attempt, forcing a contested look that went wayward.

Oklahoma shot 53.3 percent from the field in the second half, while the Golden Eagles shot 38.7 percent. The Sooners also outrebounded Marquette 17-16 in the final 20 minutes.

Another big game for Pack

Transfer guard Nijel Pack continued his hot start to the 2025-26 campaign, finishing with 24 points against the Golden Eagles.

Pack’s long-range abilities were massive in OU’s comeback effort, as he finished the game with five made 3-pointers on seven attempts. He also registered three assists and two rebounds..

Pack entered Friday’s game averaging 18.5 points, 2.8 assists and 3 rebounds per game. His season-high in scoring came in the Sooners’ loss to Nebraska, when the guard notched 27 points.

With a 48.1 percent clip on 3-pointers so far this year, Pack’s shooting abilities will continue to bolster OU’s backcourt.

Tough stretch ahead

Friday’s win was a resume-building one for the Sooners, and they have a few more opportunities to gain momentum before SEC play begins.

OU heads east next week to face Wake Forest on the road in the ACC-SEC Challenge. The Demon Deacons are 6-2 on the young season.

The Sooners will battle Arizona State in a neutral-site game at Mortgame Matchup Center, home of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns. ASU finished second place at the Maui Invitational this week, earning wins over Texas and Washington State in the midseason tournament.

Then, the Sooners will return to the Oklahoma City metro area the following week to face Oklahoma State at the PayCom Center, home to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

OU is 1-2 so far in games against teams from major conferences. The Sooners collected losses against Gonzaga and Nebraska before beating Marquette on Friday.

Each of OU’s next three contests will be major opportunities for the Sooners to bolster their resume after squandering two of their first three chances at quality wins.

After the OSU game, the Sooners play three home games they should win — against Kansas City, Stetson and Mississippi Valley State — to wrap up the non-conference portion of their schedule.