OU loses to Alabama in Tuscaloosa
No. 5 Alabama handed the No. 12 Oklahoma Sooners their first loss of the season, 107-79, Saturday night in Tuscaloosa. It was the first SEC game of the season for both teams.
The Crimson Tide’s record improved to 12-2 overall and 1-0 SEC. For the Sooners, their record dropped to 3-1, 0-1 SEC.
Alabama mounted a five-point lead midway through the first half, but then went on a 15-6 run to extend their lead to 14-points. Alabama continued to outscore OU and led 48-29 at halftime. The Sooners shot only 35.3 percent from the field in the first half.
Oklahoma never got within 19 points of Alabama in the second half.
Mark Sears led Alabama with 22 points and had 10 assists, while five other players finished in double digits: Grant Nelson (12 points), Labaron Philon (16), Derrion Reid (11) Clifford Omoruyi (10) and Aden Holloway (10).
Jalon Moore led the Sooners with 20 points. Jeremiah Fears added 16 while Sam Godwin scored 15. Also in double digits for OU were Kobe Elvis with 13 and Miles Duke added 10.
Alabama controlled the boards and took advantage of second-chance opportunities. The Crimson Tide outrebounded OU, 51-26, while scoring 25 second-chance points.
The Sooners were set to host No. 13 Texas A&M on Wednesday night. OU will visit Georgia on Saturday.
OSU loses at West Virginia 69-50
Former OSU Cowboy Javon Small led West Virginia to a 69-50 win over OSU Saturday in Morgantown, W.Va.
The Cowboys’ record dropped to 8-5 overall and 0-2 in the Big 12. The Mountaineers are now 11-2 overall and 2-0 in the Big 12.
Small totaled 24 points and 11 rebounds, scoring 18 points in the first half as the Mountaineers were on a 22-1 run to extend their lead to 32-7, with 6:06 remaining in the first half. Also contributing to the run was Janothan Powell who hit a pair of three-pointers during the stretch and finished with 17 points. The Cowboys shot only 25-percent from the field in the first half.
The Mountaineers went on another 16-4 run to take a 46-19 lead into halftime.
OSU put together a strong comeback in the second half, by cutting a 28-point deficit with 13:47 left to play, down to 15 points at one point but couldn’t get it any closer.
For the Cowboys, Marchelus Avery scored 15 points, and Abou Ousmane added a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
WVU shot 41.8% from the field and sank 11-of-30 three-pointers (.367). OSU shot 33.3-percent and made only 3-of-21 three-pointers.
OSU will play at Utah on Saturday at 6:00 p.m.
Golden Eagles lose to Kansas City
The Oral Roberts men’s basketball team lost, 90-67, at Kansas City on Saturday, in both teams’ Summit League opener of the 2024-25 season.
Kansas City jumped out to a 7-0 lead before ORU’s JoJo Moore got ORU on the board with a layup and was fouled. Moore led the Golden Eagles in scoring with 14 points.
The Roos then went on a 12-5 run over the next seven minutes, to take a 19-8 lead with 9:12 remaining in the first half.
With 1:56 left in the half, Braeden Moore checked into the game for ORU and provided a quick spark for the Golden Eagles. He knocked down a quick three and followed it up with a layup on the following possession. Despite Moore’s two quick baskets, Kansas City led 37-21 at halftime.
In the second half, Kansas City went on a 12-2 run over a three-minute stretch to extend their lead to 23 points (60-37). ORU could never overcome the deficit.
The Roos were led by Jamar Brown with 16 points and 11 rebounds, Jayson Petty added 14 points.
ORU’s Jackson Skipper finished with 14 points including three three-pointers, plus 6 rebounds.
ORU shot 38.9 percent (21-54) from the field and 34.6 percent (9-26) from three-point range. Kansas City won the rebounding battle 38-24 and scored 12 second-chance points.
The Golden Eagles have a pair of home games this week, hosting North Dakota State Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m. at the Mabee Center. North Dakota comes to town for a 7:00 p.m. Saturday matchup.
Golden Hurricane loses big to UAB
Just like OU, OSU and ORU, Tulsa had a poor shooting performance in an 83-51 loss at UAB on Saturday.
Tulsa (6-9, 0-2 The American) shot just 33.3 percent from the field and made only 4-of-19 (21.1 percent) 3-point attempts in a season-low scoring effort.
UAB (8-7, 1-1 The American) shot an impressive 49.3 percent from the field and 31.8 percent with seven made 3-pointers.
The Blazers shot very well in the first half (51.5 percent) and made five 3-pointers, to get the jump on the Hurricane. UAB led 39-19 with 3:50 remaining in the first and took a 42-22 lead into halftime.
UAB extended their lead to 32 points in the first five minutes of the second half. Tulsa didn’t get within 25 points of UAB the rest of the way.
Ian Smikle recorded a career-high 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting and a team high eight rebounds. He was the only Tulsa player in double digits, as Dwon Odom had nine and Jesaiah McWright added seven, including a pair of 3-pointers.
UAB won the battle on the boards with 43 rebounds to Tulsa’s 35.
The Blazers were led in scoring by Alejandro Vasquez with 27, including four from behind the arc. The tandem of Christian Coleman and Ja’Borri McGhee added 14 and 12 respectively. Coleman also had a team-high of 13 rebounds.
Tulsa will host Charlotte this Saturday at 5:00 p.m. at the Reynolds Center.