In game one of three, the Sooners took down Providence with a 79-77 win. Kobe Elvis led the way for Oklahoma in that victory with a game-high 26 points. The win over the Friars was massive, as the Sooners needed it to secure a matchup against Arizona, which would significantly improve their strength of schedule.
In order to upset Arizona, the Sooners were going to need two players to step up and score. Yesterday, it was Elvis and Jeremiah Fears. In this game, it was the two players who were talked about as the dynamic duo all offseason: Fears and Jalon Moore. The two combined for 50 points.
Fears had 26 points, five assists, five rebounds, and just three turnovers (after having eight against Providence). He shot 7-17 from the field, 4-7 from three-point range, and 8-8 from the free throw line while playing 33 minutes. He hit multiple big shots and was the go-to guy for Oklahoma.
The Sooners were able to pull off the upset over No. 24 Arizona, with an 82-77 win, moving them to the Battle 4 Atlantis championship game against the Louisville Cardinals, who beat the No. 14 Indiana Hoosiers on Wednesday and West Virginia today. For more on Oklahoma’s win over the Wildcats, take a look at some stats and notes:
– The Sooners led by as many as 13 points, but the Wildcats came storming back, cutting the deficit to five with 1:44 remaining. After a defensive stop, Oklahoma missed a three-pointer from Glenn Taylor, but Luke Northweather grabbed the rebound. Instead of being patient, the Sooners rushed, leading to a missed shot, an Oklahoma foul, and two made Arizona free throws, narrowing the margin to three points with 55 seconds remaining.
Fears missed a two-point attempt on the next possession, giving Arizona another opportunity. Caleb Love missed a three-pointer, and after Arizona grabbed the rebound and drove inside, Northweather came up with a crucial block. The Wildcats recovered the ball but missed another three-pointer. Fears grabbed the rebound and sank two free throws to clinch the victory.
– Sam Godwin started but played just 10 minutes, finishing with zero points on no field goal attempts. He struggled with foul trouble, ending the game with four fouls. With Godwin sidelined, Northweather stepped up again.
Northweather contributed 10 points and seven rebounds on 3-5 shooting from the field, including 2-4 from three-point range. He logged 21 minutes. After redshirting his first year, experiencing fluctuating minutes last season, and limited opportunities through the first four games of this season, Northweather has risen to the occasion when his team needed him most.
– It was a quiet night for Kobe Elvis, who scored just two points on 1-4 shooting from the field, though he added four assists. Brycen Goodine also struggled, going 0-5 from three-point range.
– After using 11 players in the opener, Oklahoma trimmed the rotation to nine players in this game. Neither Dayton Forsythe nor Jacolb Fredson-Cole logged any minutes. Off the bench, Northweather played 21 minutes, Taylor had 27, Goodine played 12, and Mohamed Wague saw just six minutes.
– Jalon Moore bounced back after a quiet game yesterday with a standout performance, recording 24 points and seven rebounds. He shot 7-15 from the field, 2-3 from three-point range, and 8-9 from the free-throw line.
– The Sooners were once again without Jadon Jones, who is dealing with a back injury.
– Oklahoma will now play its third game in three days in the Battle 4 Atlantis championship game against the Louisville Cardinals. Louisville defeated No. 14 Indiana on Wednesday and West Virginia earlier today to secure their spot in the title game.
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