Best photos from the Sooners 77-76 win over West Virginia

Take a look back at the best photos from the Oklahoma Sooners 77-76 win over the West Virginia Mountaineers.

The Oklahoma Sooners moved to 11-6 and 2-3 in Big 12 play, picking up a close win over West Virginia at the Lloyd Noble Center today in Norman.

[autotag]Grant Sherfield[/autotag] continues to be the catalyst for the Sooners, leading the way wth 22 points. [autotag]Milos Uzan[/autotag] has come on strong in recent games and had 11 points. That’s three games in a row of double-digit points for the freshman guard.

Oklahoma also got a strong contribution from [autotag]Jalen Hill[/autotag] who finished with 14 points on 5 of 5 shooting from the field and 4 of 4 from the free throw line.

Coming off of a disappointing loss at Kansas on Tuesday, this was an important win for the Sooners, who showed they could close out a tight ballgame.

The Sooners now get set to face Oklahoma State in Stillwater to see if they can bring their conference record to 3-3 on the season.

Oklahoma Sooners hang on for 77-76 win over West Virginia Mountaineers

The Oklahoma Sooners closed out a tough matchup with the Mountaineers, picking up a 77-76 win in Norman.

As has been the case each outing in the Big 12 schedule, the Oklahoma Sooners played another tight basketball game on Saturday at the Lloyd Noble Center.

Hosting West Virginia, the Sooners picked up the 77-76 win to move to 2-3 in Big 12 play and 11-6 overall.

The Sooners led by as many as seven points at different points in the second half and could never pull away. [autotag]Milos Uzan[/autotag] gave the Sooners a seven-point lead with 7:38 to play in the game, but some sharp three-point shooting from West Virginia helped them to battle back and keep the pressure on the Sooners. Oklahoma’s offense struggled in the final six minutes, struggling to get into a rhythm offensively.

As the Mountaineers tied the game at 70, the Sooners went on the attack, driving the lane and putting West Virginia defenders in a bad spot, drawing fouls.

Jalen Hill made four free throws in the final minute, Tanner Groves added a pair, and[autotag] Grant Sherfield[/autotag] made one of his two free throws to give the Sooners the win.

Sherfield led the way with 22 points and five assists. [autotag]Jalen Hill[/autotag] was a perfect 5 for 5 from the field and 4 for 4 from the free throw line for 14 points in the game. Hill also added six rebounds. True freshman [autotag]Milos Uzan[/autotag] continues to be a revelation, scoring in double-digits for the third-straight game. He’s averaging 13.3 points per game over the last three games. Uzan also had nine rebounds in the contest.

Oklahoma needed a win like this where they were able to show that they can close out tight games. After narrow losses against Texas, Iowa State, and Kansas in three of their first four Big 12 games, picking up this win could help propel the Sooners forward in conference play.

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Oklahoma Sooners can’t close, fall to Kansas on the road 79-75

The Oklahoma Sooners struggled down the stretch and lose to the Kansas Jayhawks 79-75 in Lawrence.

The Oklahoma Sooners haven’t won in Lawrence, Kansas since 1993. In one of the toughest environments for a road team, the Sooners couldn’t hold onto a double-digit lead in the second half and fall to 10-6 and 1-3 in Big 12 play, 79-75 to the Kansas Jayhawks.

The Oklahoma Sooners trailed by just two points at halftime to the No. 2 team in the nation and led by 10 with five minutes to play. But at Allen Fieldhouse, the Sooners struggled down the stretch, scoring just four points in the final five minutes as Kansas went on an 18-4 run to finish the game.

Playing at Kansas is a difficult proposition for the best teams in the country. For Oklahoma, this game will feel like the one that got away as poor shooting and shot selection plagued them down the stretch.

The Sooners got up five points on a C.J. Noland layup to make it 73-68, but misses on three straight three-point attempts from Noland, Tanner Groves, and Grant Sherfield kept the Sooners from extending their lead and allowed Kansas to get buckets in transition to close the gap and take the lead.

K.J. Adams was fantastic down the stretch for the Jayhawks, getting six points in the paint and picked up three rebounds, including two offensive boards that ultimately led to a Jalen Wilson three-pointer.

It was a poor shooting night from three for the Sooners, but still, they hung in the game by getting to the basket and hitting their free throws. And it was at the free throw line that was the difference in the ball game.

Kansas had 39 free throw attempts in the game compared to 23 for the Oklahoma Sooners. The Jayhawks were 31 of 39 from the charity stripe, and the Sooners were 19 of 23. And that was the difference. On a poor shooting night from three, Kansas didn’t continue to shoot from downtown. They forced the issue in the paint and took their trips to the free throw line. Oklahoma, on the other hand, settled for threes when they should have been going to the basket to make plays. The Sooners were just 2 of 17 from three-point range but shot 47.4% from the field overall.

Grant Sherfield led the way for the Sooners with 25 points on 9 of 15 shooting. Milos Uzan followed up his 18-point performance against Texas Tech with 11 points and five rebounds. Tanner Groves and Sam Godwin also scored in double figures for the Sooners.

Despite the loss, the Oklahoma Sooners have found a spark in the last couple of games that, hopefully, they can carry over to their next contest at home against West Virginia on Saturday. This team has played some good basketball, but they haven’t been able to close out games late in the fourth quarter.

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Oklahoma Sooners pick up big win on the road over Texas Tech 68-63

Led by Jalen Hill and Milos Uzan, the Oklahoma Sooners went on the road and defeated Texas Tech 68-63 in overtime.

It’s hard to quantify how important Oklahoma’s trip to Lubbock, Texas was. Making the trip back to Norman without a win in hand would have been soul-crushing. Luckily, that won’t be the case.

The Sooners picked up their first Big 12 win of the season after defeating Texas Tech 68-63. The game couldn’t be decided after 40 regulation minutes, so the two conference foes played an additional five minutes in overtime.

Veteran forward Jalen Hill and freshman Milos Uzan led the way for Oklahoma with 18 points.

Oklahoma started rocky in the first half, with six turnovers in the first eight minutes. They eventually relied on stiff defense and better execution offensively to get back in the game.

Once they found their footing, the Sooners took off. Grant Sherfield had eight points at half as Oklahoma led 24-23.

After the break, Milos Uzan poured 16 of his 18 on the night as Moser’s team began to separate. The Oklahoma lead grew to as much as 13 before a comeback led by former Oklahoma guard De’Vion Harmon made things uneasy. Harmon dropped in 19 of his 23 points on the night in the second half, including eight during the final five minutes of regulation.

After Uzan’s free throws sent it to OT, the game became the Jalen Hill show. Hill had eight points in the final 2 minutes of the overtime period to seal the deal.

Oklahoma is no longer at the bottom of the Big 12 standings. That belongs solely to the Red Raiders, who fall to 0-3 in the conference.

Oklahoma is now 1-2 in Big 12 play and has a trip to Kansas to take on a top 5 Jayhawks team led by national player of the year candidate Jalen Wilson. The Sooners and Jayhawks will tip off at Allen Fieldhouse on Tuesday at 8 p.m.

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Sooners drop back to back Big 12 home games, losing to No. 25 Iowa State 63-60

For the second time in as many games, the Oklahoma Sooners come out on the wrong end of a close ball game, losing to Iowa State 63-60.

For the second straight game, Oklahoma found itself in a dogfight until the very last second. And for the second game in a row, the Sooners were left grasping for what could’ve been against yet another ranked opponent at home.

While the atmosphere was far from the environment when Texas visited on New Year’s Eve, Oklahoma’s midweek showdown with the No. 25 Iowa State Cyclones was a highly contested affair, with the Cyclones squeaking out a 63-60 win.

Iowa State came out swinging, building an 18-point lead in the first half. Oklahoma responded like a prized fighter on the ropes and countered with a 20-0 run which was sparked by tenacious defense and Bijan Cortes off the bench.

The score was 29-29 at the half. The second half was a close affair all the way through, but Iowa State’s Caleb Grill continued to pace the Cyclones offensively, finishing with 20 points on 5 of 9 shooting. Tanner Groves posted 15 points and 8 boards, while forward Jalen Hill led Oklahoma in scoring with 16 points.

Iowa State’s defensive game plan from the outset was centered on taking Sooners leading scorer Grant Sherfield out of the game. Iowa State sent waves of defenders at Sherfield and it disrupted the talented guard’s rhythm from the jump. Sherfield played 27 minutes and shot 1 of 7 from the field.

The see-saw second half came down to the final seconds with the Cyclones up 61-60 and the Sooners inbounding on their side of the court. An inaccurate feed into the post to Jalen Hill went out of bounds, and Iowa State knocked down the ensuing free throws to make it 63-60. A desperation three was no good for the home team, and the Sooners fell to 0-2 in Big 12 play and 9-5 overall.

Two devastating opportunities at home for resume-strengthening wins have been squandered for Oklahoma. As it currently stands, the Sooners are last in the Big 12. Oklahoma will hit the hardwood looking to snap out of their slide on the road against the Texas Tech Red Raiders. That game is Saturday, January 7, and can be seen on ESPN+.

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Oklahoma Sooners come up short falls short in battle with Texas Longhorns

In the last game of 2022, Oklahoma lost 70-69 at home to the No. 6 Texas Longhorns.

On the last afternoon of 2022, the Oklahoma Sooners in a tightly contested game against the No. 6 ranked Texas Longhorns 70-69. It came down to the final moments, but ultimately, the Longhorns got more stops when it mattered most and iced the game on the free throw line.

Grant Sherfield led the way for the Sooners with 22 points on 9 of 19 shooting. His 16 first-half points paced the Sooners early. The Longhorns made adjustments in their off-ball help defense and did all they could to quiet Sherfield in the second half.

Oklahoma trailed much of the first half but kept the game close. A 12-1 run by Oklahoma leading into the under-four-minute TV timeout was the driving force to a 35-31 Sooners lead at halftime.

Texas guards began to assert their will in the second half. Marcus Carr had nine of his thirteen points in the second half. Texas forward Timmy Allen also scored 13 for the Longhorns. 

In the second half, with so much of the Texas defense keyed in on Sherfield, other Sooners stepped up to keep them in the game. Jacob Groves had three of his five three-pointers in the second half. He finished with 17 points. Forward Jalen Hill chipped in 14 points and six rebounds.

Texas stymied Oklahoma’s offensive fluidity by taking Sherfield out of the game and cutting off driving lanes. That proved to be the difference in the one-point loss for the Sooners.

These rivals will meet again in February. Oklahoma falls to 9-4 on the season and will look to bounce back after the start of the new year with a home game against a gritty Iowa State squad on Wednesday, January 4 at the Lloyd Noble Center.

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Sooners Guard Grant Sherfield named Big 12 Co-Newcomer of the Week

Oklahoma Sooners guard Grant Sherfield named Big 12 Co-Newcomer of the Week

After an already successful weekend at the Jumpman Invitational, Oklahoma Sooners guard Grant Sherfield is still reaping the benefits of his fantastic performance against the Florida Gators. The transfer from Wichita, KS has been named a Big 12 Co-Newcomer of the Week, along with Kansas State’s Nae’Qwan Tomlin.

Oklahoma is Sherfield’s third stop in his college career. He spent time at Wichita State and Nevada before transferring to OU last April.

Sherfield’s short time at OU has been quite good. He’s averaging 18 points per game and 3.8 assists per game.

The Sooners have a 9-3 record heading into a New Year’s Eve matchup with the Texas Longhorns at the Lloyd Noble Center. The No. 6 Longhorns are 10-1 this season and have won four straight after losing to Illinois.

The only ranked opponent the Sooners have faced so far this season was Arkansas. OU fell to the Razorbacks at the BOK Center in Tulsa. It’s been a solid start to the second year of Porter Moser’s tenure. Opening Big 12 play against the Texas Longhorns will provide a stiff conference test for the Sooners.

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Sooners Grant Sherfield named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week

For his efforts against Kansas City and Arkansas, Oklahoma point guard Grant Sherfield was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week.

The Oklahoma Sooners have found lightning in a bottle with transfer point guard Grant Sherfield. He’s scored 20 or more points in four of the Sooners’ last five games and been the spark that’s driven the offense for Oklahoma’s 7-3 start to the season.

For his efforts in a win over Kansas City and the Sooners tough loss to Arkansas, Sherfield was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week.

Sherfield averaged 23.5 points per game, three rebounds, 2.5 steals, and 2 assists per game for the Sooners last week. He shot 58.3% from the field on 14 of 22 shooting and 66.7% from three.

In 33.9 minutes per game, Sherfield’s averaging 17.7. points on the season and is shooting 45.3% from the field and 54.9% from three.

The Oklahoma Sooners have some big wins in nonconference play, beating Nebraska, Seton Hall, and Ole Miss. They dropped games to Villanova and Arkansas to put more pressure on these final nonconference games before Big 12 play begins.

The Sooners next take on Central Arkansas on Saturday before hosting the Florida Gators next Tuesday. Then the daunting slate of Big 12 play begins when they host the Texas Longhorns on New Year’s Eve.

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Oklahoma Sooners fall to No. 9 Arkansas Razorbacks 88-78 in Tusla

The No. 9 Razorbacks defeated the Oklahoma Sooners 88-78 at the BOK Center in Tulsa. From @bendackiw

The long drive to Tulsa proved to be more fruitful for the hogs than the crimson and cream as the No. 9 Arkansas Razorbacks defeated the Oklahoma Sooners 88-78 at the BOK Center. The Sooners are now 7-3 on the season while the Razorbacks improved to 9-1.

Four of the Razorbacks’ starting five scored in double digits. Nick Smith Jr. and Ricky Council IV each scored more than 20 points in the Arkansas win.

Both teams shot more than 57% from the field in the game. The Sooners held Arkansas to 33.3% from three-point range, but the Razorbacks scored the bulk of their points in the paint.

The difference in this game was the Arkansas defense. The Razorbacks collected 10 steals forced the Sooners into 15 turnovers. Arkansas only turned the ball over nine times in the game.

Grant Sherfield had another solid day, once again leading OU in points with 23. Sherfield also grabbed three steals on defense. It was Sherfield’s third 20-point game in the last four contests, proving to be the Sooners most important player this season.

Freshman guard Milos Uzan had a career-high 15 points and added five assists to provide the Sooners with a secondary scoring option. He was 7 of 11 from the field.

The Sooners did not play a bad game. They shot well, they outrebounded the Hogs and they played up to a superior opponent. The Razorbacks defense proved to be too much for the Sooners. Porter Moser still has a bit of time to get his OU squad ready to go before Big 12 opponents start showing up on the schedule.

While other OU students are headed home for the holiday break, OU basketball will come return to Norman to face Central Arkansas. After that, they’ll head East to play the Florida Gators in Charlotte for the Jumpman Invitational.

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Best photos from the Oklahoma Sooners 75-53 win over Kansas City

Relive Oklahoma’s 75-53 win over Kansas City in fantastic still images.

It didn’t go great for the Sooners, who were locked in a battle against the Kansas City Roos on Tuesday night at the Lloyd Noble Center.

The Roos came to play, keeping the game close through the first 20 minutes, taking the Sooners into halftime tied at 27 apiece.

And then Grant Sherfield happened.

The Sooners’ starting point guard went off in the second half, scoring 22 of his 24 points on the night to help Oklahoma erupt for a 48-point second half. Sherfield was 6 of 10 from the field and 5 of 6 from three-point range.

The Sooners had three other players score in double figures on a night where they shot 57.8% from the field and 41.2% from three.

It was a key second half for Oklahoma, who the tournament selection committee would have looked down upon had the Sooners struggled to beat the Roos. Taking a 27-all game at halftime and turning it into a 22-point win looks a whole lot different come selection time.

Here’s a look at some of the best photos from Tuesday night’s win over the Roos.