The story of Oklahoma’s regular season is so complex. The only simple and easily understood part of the team is that they were wildly and frustratingly inconsistent. Another example is Saturday’s regular-season finale and Senior Day game against the No. 22 TCU Horned Frogs.
With their season depending solely on what they do in the Phillips 66 Big 12 tournament, Oklahoma wanted to give themselves some momentum heading into the following week. They did so in a big way and sent their seniors out in style, dismantling the same TCU team 74-60 the Sooners in February.
Before the game, the Sooners honored [autotag]Grant Sherfield[/autotag], Tanner and Jacob Groves, Jalen Hill, and Blake Seacat.
Hill has the option to return due to his COVID option.
Oklahoma was locked in from the start, going 6 of 6 from the field to jump out to a 14-2 lead before the first media timeout.
Stifling defense and white-hot shooting sent a message to TCU that this game would not be like the previous one played in Fort Worth.
Not only did Oklahoma come out hot and stay hot, the game never really got close enough for the Sooners to get worried. They answered TCU runs with their own and kept their foot on the gas until the final whistle.
By the under-eight media timeout, the Sooners’ lead had turned into a 29-12 affair.
In the first half, Grant Sherfield had eight points and Milos Uzan had seven to pace the Sooners. The Groves brothers combined for 14 points and five boards before the break.
The Sooners’ team defense was excellent. They held TCU to 37.7 percent from the field for the entire game.
Oklahoma came out from the locker room with a 38-21 lead, and despite a brief TCU surge, the Sooners maintained an 18-point lead by the under-12 timeout.
Tanner Groves continued to dominate and closed out his final home game with 23 points and 10 rebounds, including four offensive boards. Grant Sherfield, another senior, poured in 20 points on 7 of 15 shooting and was 4 of 7 from three. It was the first time all season both scored 20 in a game. Oklahoma coasted to the finish line, with the lead getting as high as 22 points. They put a bow on an up-and-down regular season with their sixth Quad 1 win.
Chef @gsherfield5 is 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 cookin' 👨‍🍳 pic.twitter.com/TBD7qbo0RU
— Oklahoma Basketball (@OU_MBBall) March 4, 2023
Oklahoma will have a few days off to get mentally and physically ready, where winning four consecutive games to earn an automatic bid seems like their only shot at the NCAA Tournament.
Oklahoma (15-16 overall, 5-13 Big 12) finishes their regular season in last place and will either face WVU or Oklahoma State in the 7-10 matchup to kick off the Big 12 tournament.
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