Oklahoma Stays Perfect, Upsets No. 23 USC in Rady Children's Invitational Championship
In a high-paced track meet, the Sooners (6-0) raced towards the finish line knocking off the No. 23 USC Trojans (4-2) 72-70 and took home hardware in the Rady Children’s Invitational. Oklahoma needed every bucket in a back-and-forth game, but no basket was bigger than the last.
Javian McCollum had the hot hand all evening, making it no surprise that the last play went to him. He barely missed a step-back jumper with the time running out, but as the ball hung in the air, Otega Oweh flew in out of nowhere and lifted it back into the hoop for the game-winning bucket.
It was a gritty win, and showcased Oklahoma’s identity. The resilient effort down the stretch is what helped the Sooners come out on top.
McCollum finished the afternoon with 18 points and three assists on 8-of-15 from the floor with two triples. Oweh, the game's hero, recorded 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting.
Off the bench, John Hugley IV was crucial, pouring in 14 points, five rebounds and three assists, notching a perfect 4-of-4 from 3-point range. Milos Uzan did a little bit of everything, chipping in 10 points, four rebounds and four assists.
After a signature win against a solid Iowa Hawkeyes team on Thursday, Oklahoma didn’t get any breaks. The team matched up with its first ranked opponent of the season — a team loaded with next level talent.
The Trojans’ true freshman star, Isaiah Collier, is a projected top-five pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and was the top recruit in the country. On Friday, Porter Moser's team completely took him out of the game. He had just ten points and six turnovers.
Early on, Oklahoma’s defense struggled to adjust to USC’s athleticism. The backcourt duo of Collier and Boogie Ellis caused problems for the Sooners early on and forced the defense to overplay in a handful of situations. Heading into the media timeout with 10:46 left, the Trojans had an early 18-14 advantage on the scoreboard.
Hugley and McCollum kept the Sooners in it early, hitting multiple triples and keeping USC’s defense honest. Still, Oklahoma struggled to slow down the blue-chip point guard Collier. After a Milos Uzan 3-pointer and a Collier transition layup, USC led 29-26 with 5:14 left in the first half.
The fast-paced game allowed for lots of 3-point attempts in the first half, and Oklahoma was burned by open shooters. After Harrison Hornery drilled a triple with 4:00 left in the frame, the Sooners trailed 35-31. Up to that point, the Trojans were shooting 6-of-10 from long range.
Heading into the break, Oklahoma stayed within striking distance trailing 39-36. Hugley’s three triples were critical for Oklahoma’s offensive attack.
It looked like the Sooners were in trouble as USC jumped out to a 47-39 lead out of halftime, but Oklahoma’s experienced squad responded. The team went on a quick 7-0 run capped off by a steal and slam by Oweh on the other end. Suddenly, the Sooners were within one.
With 15:41, the Sooners finally found a way tie it up before eventually taking a two-point lead. Hugley drilled his fourth triple of the game, netting 4-of-4 from downtown.
OU’s fast-paced attack helped the team stay locked in during the track meet. The entire second half was back-and-fort, blow-for-blow. A layup by Oweh with 8:31 gave the Sooners a 59-58 lead.
Back-to-back buckets from McCollum and Uzan, followed up by an easy seal down low from Hugley gave the Sooners a flurry of points and some cushion on the scoreboard. Oklahoma held a 68-62 lead with 3:56 left in the game.
The Sooners led 70-68 with 1:27 left after Oweh couldn’t find the rim on a floater. His miss gave the possession back to the Trojans before a called timeout to set up a play.
USC received a generous over-the-back foul call with just under 30 seconds to play and knocked down both one-and-one free throws, tying it up. That's when Sooner Magic went down.
McCollum's step back fadeaway off the rim allowed Oweh to fly in from the wing and tip it in for the win.
After receiving votes in the AP Top 25 poll last week, there's a good chance Oklahoma finds itself ranked on Monday afternoon. Wins over Iowa and USC were massive for Moser's group and showcased the overall improvement this squad his displayed.
Heading back to Norman, Oklahoma will square off against Arkansas Pine Bluff at 7 p.m. on Thursday night.
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