NORMAN — Porter Moser knew Tuesday night’s game against No. 21-ranked BYU was going to hinge on defense.
The Cougars lead the Big 12 in both 3-point attempts per game (32.6) and makes per game (11). They’ve averaged 74.6 points per game on 45.6% shooting in conference play, with both stats ranking fifth in the league. It was going to be a test, especially considering the Sooners’ lackluster defensive effort in last weekend’s 74-63 loss to UCF.
Fortunately for the Sooners, they responded. They snagged a much-needed 82-66 win over the Cougars at the Lloyd Noble Center, boosting them to 17-6 overall and 5-5 in Big 12 play.
It started with their defense. The Cougars shot just 35.9% from the field and 30.8% from 3, both well-below their season averages. But the most important thing? The Cougars made just 8 of 26 3-point attempts.
While the Cougars had some success inside with Fousseyini Traore, who finished with a game-high 21 points, the Sooners limited the Cougars’ 3-point shooting and their offense overall.
“I think our guys had such a respect for them as shooters,” Moser said. “I think they were trying to be underneath them. We got lost a couple of times in transition… But they’re so hard to guard. They run excellent stuff… I thought we communicated elite on switches with their shooters. I thought we were there underneath them, and I thought our guys really did a nice job switching and being ready to guard their shooters.
“That team, I’ve watched so much tape, they’re so good. For us to have that kind of defensive performance, we needed it on this night.”
Here’s a look at two takeaways and some notes from the win:
Milos Uzan starts it, Javian McCollum finishes it
The Sooners may not have been tied 34-34 at halftime without Uzan, who scored 14 points in the first half. As the other Sooners struggled to score, Uzan was in attack mode, making 4 of 10 shots in the first half.
McCollum struggled early, but he made all six of his free throws in the final three minutes, and hit a 3-pointer late, to help seal the win. Those makes also helped him finish with a team-high 20 points (4/10 shooting, 1/7 from 3), while Uzan finished with 16 points, five rebounds and four assists.
“I thought those two guys did a great job,” Moser said. “… (I) learned something about both of them. Just kept on telling them both to shoot, and it’s going to fall.”
Sooners learn from past mistakes in second half
Second halves have not been kind to the Sooners in conference play. They blew a nine-point lead against Texas Tech. They trailed by just one against Texas before allowing the Longhorns to end the game on a 21-6 run. They never got going against UCF.
BYU held a 44-43 lead at the 14:31 mark of the second half and never led again, as the Sooners eventually took a seven-point lead with just under 10 minutes to go. The Cougars never got closer than five, and the Sooners ended the game on a 15-6 run.
The Sooners got key stops and made big shots late, something they haven’t consistently done in recent weeks.
” I thought we did some really good things to keep answering the bell instead of going cold for so long offensively, which we’ve done,” Moser said. “So I think it was a combination of some execution and making some shots.
“I think we’re all trying to stack wins. Trying to go on one-game winning streaks in this league. You know that it’s opportunity. We lost a tough one. We had a good road win at Kansas State and turn around and don’t play well at Central Florida. Then turn around and play the No. 7 team (BYU) in the NET. That’s opportunity. As daunting as this league is, there is opportunity. The opportunities are hard. But there is opportunity. I think our guys knew that. They knew it was a big win. They knew they had a great opportunity here at home.”
Notes
— In conference play, the Sooners were averaging 19.5 3-point attempts per game coming into Tuesday. They hoisted up 26 against the Cougars and made nine (34.6%), and seven different players made at least one.
— The bad free throw shooting (39 of 63) against Texas Tech and Kansas State continues to look like a random event. In the two games since then, the Sooners have made 41 of 51 (80%). They shot 23 of 29 against BYU and made some critical ones down the stretch.
— An encouraging stat for the Sooners: OU committed just eight turnovers, while BYU had eight, and the Sooners won the points-off-turnovers battle 12-5. The Sooners were averaging 12.2 turnovers per game coming into Tuesday.
— Rivaldo Soares continues to be a spark off the bench: 12 points (3/5 shooting, 1/2 from 3) and six more rebounds. He’s the Sooners’ second-leading rebounder in conference play.
— Despite losing last weekend and falling out of the AP Top 25, the Sooners remained a No. 6 seed in the latest NCAA Tournament projections from ESPN’s Joe Lunardi. The BYU win certainly doesn’t hurt in that department.
— Moser opened his press conference with a tribute to Toby Keith, a country music icon and longtime Sooner fan who passed away on Tuesday morning from stomach cancer. Moser toasted Keith with a red solo cup.
Here are Moser’s comments in full:
“Today’s a tough day for Sooner nation. We lost a dear friend in Toby Keith. I heard his songs blaring in the arena. I’ve been here three years and he became a true friend of mine with him and his family. He is everything you want to be about. He’s Sooner nation. And to all his friends around the country, in the music industry, in the sports world, friends and all different things, today we raise a glass to Toby Keith. And I wish there was something different than water in this glass right now because he is a true legend, a true friend to everybody. And I just want to say our guys played their hearts out for Toby Keith tonight to get this win and I know he was looking down on us tonight. So to everyone who hears this around Sooner Nation, friends all across the country, raise your glass tonight to Toby Keith.”
— Up next: The Sooners battle Oklahoma State in the first edition of Bedlam at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Lloyd Noble Center.
