Tag: big 12 basketball

Oklahoma (11-3, 0-2) got their first win in Austin, TX., since 2015 over Texas (10-4, 0-2) Wednesday night. Road wins in the Big 12 are a rarity for the Sooners as tonight’s win is just the fifth over the past four seasons. Not only do the Sooners head home with a win, but a confirmed sense of confidence.

DE’VION HARMON, WELCOME TO THE SHOW

Freshman guard, De’Vion Harmon has not performed nearly to his potential so far this season. He was removed from the starting lineup four games ago but has since blossomed into a fantastic spark off the bench for Lon Kruger’s team. His talents were on full display against the Longhorns as he came out after halftime locking down his assignments defensively, forcing turnovers and getting Oklahoma into transition on multiple possessions. Harmon finished the game with nine points (all of which came in the second half), three rebounds, an assist and three of the Sooners’ seven steals.

JAMAL BIENIEMY WOKE UP

After a promising freshman season, Jamal Bieniemy began the 2019-20 season in a rut. That changed Wednesday night. Bieniemy, much like Harmon, was all over the court, harassing Longhorns from baseline to baseline in his 38 minutes. Not only was his defensive prowess on display but so was his shooting abilities. He finished the game with 11 points, trailing just Kristian Doolittle who had 22. Bieniemy was effective with his shots, knocking down four of six from the floor while also leading the team in assists with four.

KRISTIAN DOOLITTLE IS A NIGHTMARE

The 2018-19 Big 12 most improved player showed that he is a walking mismatch, once again. His team-leading 22 points on eight of 16 shooting included two three-pointers that kept the Texas defense stretched out all night. Doolittle also led the team in rebounds with eight.

OKLAHOMA CAN PLAY DEFENSE

Alex Grinch eat your heart out. The Sooners put a stranglehold on the Longhorns offense, allowing them to shoot just 38% from the field and 28% from deep. not only was Oklahoma forcing tough shots but they were in Texas’ back pocket for all 40 minutes, forcing 12 turnovers.

The Sooners are back in action on Saturday as they face off against Iowa State on the road. The game can be seen on ESPN2 at 7p.m. CT.

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Oklahoma walked into the lion’s den and earned their fifth Big 12 road win in four seasons. On the backs of coming-out performances from De’Vion Harmon and Jamal Bieniemy, Oklahoma (11-3, 2-0) defeated Texas (10-4, 0-2) 72-62.

The backcourt for the Sooners has been underwhelming at best so far this season. Bieniemy and Harmon had high expectations coming into the season and lived up to those expectations in Austin, Texas, tonight.

Despite losing his starting spot over the past four games, Harmon has embraced the role, sparking Oklahoma in the second half with nine points, three rebounds, an assist and three of the Sooners’ seven steals.

Bieniemy also seemed to have woken up from his shooting slumber, scoring 11 points on four of six shooting alongside three rebounds and team-high four assists.

Outside of Bieniemy and Harmon, the usual suspects did work offensively. Austin Reaves put up 10 points including a halftime buzzer-beater to give the Sooners a one-point lead before heading to the locker room.

Kristian Doolittle led the team in scoring and rebounding once again with 22 points and eight boards. His scoring abilities proved a mismatch for the Longhorns all night as he knocked down two 3-pointers and was able to shoot well from mid-range.

With three primary performances for the Sooners, Oklahoma as a team played lights-out defensively. The Sooners allowed Texas to make just 28 percent of their shots while hauling in 30 defensive boards to Texas’ nine offensive boards.

The 72-62 win is the first win in Austin for Oklahoma since 2015.

The Sooners are back in action on Saturday when they head up to Ames, Iowa, to take on the Cyclones at 7 p.m. CT.

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Oklahoma (10-3, 1-0) takes on Texas (10-3, 0-1) in the Sooners’ first Big 12 road game of the season.

Oklahoma comes off a solid, hard-fought 66-61 win over Kansas State last Saturday and is amidst a three-game winning streak. The Sooners were picked to finish eighth in the Big 12 but so far this season has looked better than expected.

In order to beat Texas on the road, which is never an easy task no matter the opponent in the Big 12, Oklahoma needs to do three things.

KNOCKDOWN OPEN LOOKS

The Sooners have no problems getting open looks at the basket. However, they do have a problem making open shots. Shooting 30.7% from deep as a team is not awful but it is not great, especially with more than capable shooters that Oklahoma has. Making open shots will be huge towards this team’s performance and confidence not only tonight but moving forward as well.

SHARE THE WEALTH

The Sooners have three of their starting five averaging double-digit scoring with Austin Reaves, Kristian Doolittle and Brady Manek all inside the Big 12’s top-10 scoring leaders. De’Vion Harmon, Alondes Williams, and Jamal Bieniemy, the other three scoring options for Oklahoma all average under eight points a game. If the Sooners want to continue their win-streak and perform at a higher level, Bieniemy, Harmon, and Williams all need to knock down looks when given the opportunity.

DEFEND LIKE NO ONE IS WATCHING

If there has been one thing that has been consistent over the last three games, it has been the Sooners’ defense. Oklahoma has allowed their opponents over that stretch a combined 185 points. The Sooners kept UTRGV to 41.2%, Kansas State to 34.9% and UCF to 31.3% from the field. If Kruger’s crew can continue their premium defending, Oklahoma will be in good shape.

The Sooners and Longhorns are set to tip-off at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2. for full broadcast details, click here.

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