Stormin in Norman
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Oklahoma basketball: Sooners bury Ole Miss in offensive avalanche

By Christopher Dukes

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - MARCH 22: Rashard Odomes #1 of the Oklahoma Sooners goes up for a dunk against the Mississippi Rebels during the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Colonial Life Arena on March 22, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - MARCH 22: Rashard Odomes #1 of the Oklahoma Sooners goes up for a dunk against the Mississippi Rebels during the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Colonial Life Arena on March 22, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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After spending most of the season trying to to put all the pieces together, everything finally clicked at the best possible time Oklahoma basketball.

The Sooners scored on eight of their first nine possessions and built a 12-0 lead, seemingly before Ole Miss had even gotten off the bus, in a dominant 93-72 win over the Rebels in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

It was the most points the Sooners have scored all year and – as of the publishing of this article – the most scored by any point in the NCAA Tournament so far in 2019.

The Sooners had four players in double figures. Rashard Odoms and Christian James each had 20, Kristian Doolittle had 19 and Brady Manek had 18 in an amazing offensive display for the Sooners.

Oklahoma basketball was particularly dominant in the paint and committed just five turnovers in the whole game. The Sooners also shot well, hitting 58 percent from the field, 46 percent from 3-point range and 80 percent from the line in what has to be the team’s most complete performance of the season so far.

Where has this team been all year?

The Sooners finished the regular season just 19-13 with a 7-11 record in conference in what can best be described as an inconsistent season for Lon Kruger’s squad, but the combination of a major advantage inside, great shooting and a clean day from their guards made for a surprisingly-dominant first-round win and the Sooners’ first tournament victory since the an 80-68 win over Oregon in the 2016 regional final to advance to the Final Four.

Now we see whether this explosion of offense was a one-time anomaly or what we can expect from this team from here on out as Oklahoma basketball advances to the second round for a matchup against Virginia, which brings us to…

Next. Oklahoma basketball: Five bold predictions for OU in NCAA Tourney. dark

What’s next?

Oklahoma basketball meets the Cavaliers for the first time in an NCAA Tournament game since Virginia upset the No. 1-seeded Sooners in a 1989 Sweet 16 matchup. Oklahoma looks to return the favor and knock off the now No. 1-seeded Cavs on Saturday.

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