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OU Basketball: Oklahoma Outlasts Oklahoma State in Ugly Bedlam Battle

Both offenses struggled for large stretches, but Oklahoma ultimately stood tall in the end to notch the first Bedlam victory of the year.
Ryan Chapman|
OU Basketball: Oklahoma Outlasts Oklahoma State in Ugly Bedlam Battle
OU Basketball: Oklahoma Outlasts Oklahoma State in Ugly Bedlam Battle

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Oklahoma Sooners

NORMAN — Bedlam wins haven’t come easy for Porter Moser.

Now in his third season, entering his first battle of the year against Oklahoma State, the OU coach had posted a 1-4 record against the Cowboys.

Saturday’s contest was going to be no different.

Mike Boynton’s team entered the day 10-13 overall, and the Cowboys’ 2-8 record in Big 12 play was dead last in the conference standings.

But OU had to scratch and claw for its 66-62 victory at the Lloyd Noble Center.

“I didn’t expect anything less from Oklahoma State playing their tails off,” Moser said after the game. “Physical, physical, high energy—played unbelievably hard, and I didn’t expect anything else from Oklahoma State.

“… There were so many ebbs and flows and the crowd just stayed high energy. So yeah, definitely it means a lot to them, and for us, we still have some huge home games, and they make a difference.”

The Sooners (18-6, 6-5) held OSU to 21.9 percent shooting in the first half, but needed a Le’Tre Darthard 3-pointer at the buzzer to take a five-point lead into the break thanks to eight turnovers.

Then OU's mental miscues allowed the Cowboys to hang around.

Jalon Moore was called for a technical foul after a dunk in the first half, and it was followed by an Otega Oweh technical in the second half, and OU center Sam Godwin picked up his fifth foul, another tech, this time from the bench after John Hugley IV made a big bucket.

“I kinda finally huddled them up after Sam got one from the bench waiving his towel,” Moser said. “I just called us together. I said, 'You guys. We've got to overcome adversity. Stop thinking about all that's happening… Let the story be we’re overcoming adversity, not let the story be, man, it’s just crazy circumstances going on.’”

Hugley in turn was hit with a flagrant foul in the second half, which contributed to Oklahoma State’s 23-18 free throw advantage for the game.

Despite that sideshow, the Sooners prevailed – and it brought the LNC crowd to life.

“I thought the crowd had tremendous energy,” Moser said. “They were there whole time. It's what's your envision, to look around it's completely filled and to have them walking away with a win.”

Still, the game stayed stuck in the mud, setting up a tight finish.

Darthard bounced in another 3 after a high deflection off the rim with 3:09 remaining, part of a 9-0 run that put the Sooners on top 61-56 with 2:25 remaining.

“Le’Tre made some really good plays,” Moser said.

But Oklahoma State’s freshman center, Brandon Garrison, tipped in Javon Small’s miss to cut the lead back down to three and ensure the game would live possession-by-possession for the final two minutes.

Quion Williams hit a pair of free throws with 1:20 left to pull Oklahoma State within one, and Jalon Moore’s attempt from the lane didn’t fall, giving the Cowboys a great chance at stealing another late winner in Norman.

Milos Uzan held strong for the Sooners, however.

He closed out on Small’s 3-pointer with 34 seconds left to help force a miss, and Rivaldo Soares pulled down the crucial board. The Cowboys then fouled Javian McCollum, sending OU’s embattled point guard to the line to try and make it a three-point game.

He delivered, but Oklahoma State opted to extend the game with a bank shot from Williams in the lane with 15 ticks left on the clock.

Oklahoma executed the inbounds play, and McCollum hit another two free throws to push the lead back to 65-62.

Soares then picked Small’s pocket for a late steal that sealed the win.

“We have that philosophy of fouling,” said Moser, “and then he just took off and you couldn't catch him. And then when he got inside the 3, we knew a 3 beat us. And (Soares) made a nice poke and just got it. Got a big stop.”

Moore finished as OU’s leading scorer, totaling 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting while pulling down eight boards.

No other Sooner scored double digits, though Darthard ended with nine points, Soares and Uzan both had eight and Hugley and McCollum both added another seven points apiece.

Oklahoma held Oklahoma State to 31 percent shooting from the field, but lost the turnover battle 12-6.

Up next, the Sooners head to Waco to take on Baylor on Tuesday night at 8 p.m.

Published
Ryan Chapman
RYAN CHAPMAN

Ryan is co-publisher at Sooners On SI and covers a number of sports in and around Norman and Oklahoma City. Working both as a journalist and a sports talk radio host, Ryan has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, the Oklahoma City Energy and more. Since 2019, Ryan has simultaneously pursued a career as both a writer and a sports talk radio host, working for the Flagship for Oklahoma sports, 107.7 The Franchise, as well as AllSooners.com. Ryan serves as a contributor to The Franchise’s website, TheFranchiseOK.com, which was recognized as having the “Best Website” in 2022 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. Ryan holds an associate’s degree in Journalism from Oklahoma City Community College in Oklahoma City, OK. 

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