OU Basketball: Oklahoma Survives Overtime Battle to Top Texas Tech
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Big 12 wins are hard to come by, and Oklahoma is no stranger to the struggle.
But OU finally got off the mark on Saturday, leaning on Jalen Hill’s eight points in the last 1:35 of overtime to notch the Sooners’ first conference win of the season.
After leading by as many as 13 points in the second half, Porter Moser’s Sooners finally downed the Texas Tech Red Raiders 68-63 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock.
As the teams prepared for the stretch run, the Sooners appeared to be in command, but a familiar face returned to haunt Oklahoma.
OU was Up 48-35 with 8:45 to play, but former Sooner guard De’Vion Harmon led a furious comeback to try and hand his former team a third straight conference loss to start Big 12 play.
Harmon poured in 19 of his 23 points in the second half, including eight points over the final five minutes of regulation to force overtime.
Hill’s overtime heroics allowed him to finish as OU’s co-leading scorer with 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting, with nine rebounds, while true freshman Milos Uzan led the charge in the second half.
Uzan scored 16 of his 18 points after halftime, including two clutch free throws in the final seconds to send the contest to overtime, silencing the Red Raider crowd time after time while Texas Tech climbed back into the game.
Though OU’s (10-5 overall, 1-2 Big 12) offense eventually got into a groove, the Sooners had to withstand another slow start.
Oklahoma turned the ball over six times in the first eight minutes, allowing the Red Raiders (10-5, 0-3) to build a seven-point lead halfway through the opening period.
Texas Tech’s defense frustrated OU’s offense, leading to handful of shot clock violations while Grant Sherfield settled into rhythm.
But the Sooner guard found his footing, finishing with eight points at halftime to help march the Sooners back into the game.
Moser’s team paired Sherfield’s scoring with staunch defense — forcing four Red Raider turnovers in the final six minutes of the half — to take a 24-23 lead into the intermission.
The Sooners appeared to take control of the contest with 16 minutes left.
First Sherfield, then Uzan and C.J. Noland all connected on 3-pointers to break a 27-27 deadlock and put OU up by nine points.
Oklahoma’s momentum was broken when Tanner Groves fouled out with 5:05 remaining, and Harmon’s Red Raiders took advantage.
With 3:30 left, Sherfield was unable to hit a runner driving to his right.
The ball found Harmon in transition, who went coast-to-coast and absorbed contact from Hill, finishing off a layup through the foul.
He sunk his free throw to cut OU’s advantage to 52-48, ensuring the Sooners would have to survive another nervy finish.
Harmon returned again to torment his former team, knotting the game up at 54 with 1:15 remaining on a left-handed layup under the bucket.
As Oklahoma wasted possessions down the stretch, Kevin Obanor hit a layup with 23 seconds left to put the Red Raiders up by two.
On the other end, Moser turned back to his freshman, and Uzan drew a foul.
He sunk Oklahoma’s second and third free throw attempts of the night, and the Sooner defense held to force overtime.
Sherfield finished the night with 11 points, five rebounds and five assists, and Groves also added seven points and 10 rebounds to the cause before fouling out.
OU desperately needed the win, as the road ahead doesn’t get any easier.
Next up, the Sooners will travel to Lawrence to take on the No. 3-ranked Kansas Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse on Tuesday at 8 p.m.
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