Oklahoma improved to 14-7 on Saturday with a 82-69 Bedlam win over the Cowboys. Here are three reasons why the Sooners beat Oklahoma State in Norman:
Auto-Manek
Junior forward Brady Manek continued his hot-streak against the Cowboys on Saturday, knocking down seven 3-pointers in the win. He’s averaging 18.9 points per game in his last seven games, and is now the only Big 12 players with two 30+ point games. His 22 points in the first half against OSU put the game well out of reach before the final buzzer.
Defense, Defense, Defense
The Sooners held the Cowboys to just 30 points on 12-of-33 shooting in the first half. Oklahoma State made just two of their eight attempted 3-pointers in the first half, and couldn’t create enough momentum in the second-half to overcome the deficit.
Reaves overcomes struggles
Redshirt junior guard Austin Reaves has struggled for the Sooners lately, shooting just 25% on 11 attempted shots in the five games previous to Bedlam. On Saturday he shot 50%, going 6-for-12 and putting up 21 points, just two shy of his career high of 23. Reaves averaged 17.6 ppg in their 7-1 start, but has fallen off since, averaging just 12.0 on 32%. If he can find his groove again, Oklahoma will be tough to beat.