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Oklahoma basketball: 12-0 2nd-half shocker sinks Sooners

By Chip Rouse

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - MARCH 22: Kristian Doolittle #21 of the Oklahoma Sooners competes for the ball with Dominik Olejniczak #13 of the Mississippi Rebels in the second half 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: Kristian Doolittle #21 of the Oklahoma Sooners competes for the ball with Dominik Olejniczak #13 of the Mississippi Rebels in the second half 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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Oklahoma basketball ran into a hungry and angry Wichita Shockers team on Saturday and several scoring droughts by the Sooners was all it took to seal an 80-75 victory by Wichita State.

As they have in most of their nine games this season, the Sooners had a rough time getting going on the offensive end. Fortunately, their defensive play kept them in the game early.

Despite making just one of their first 11 shots, the Sooner fought back from an eight-point deficit early deficit to lead 37-33 at the half, only the third time they have held a halftime lead this season.

Oklahoma maintained the advantage and stretched it to eight points midway through the second half before it evaporated with a 12-0 Wichita State run over a four-minute stretch, from which the Sooner were never able to fully recover.

The Sooners regained the lead briefly, 66-64, on a three-ball by Brady Manek at the 3:38 mark of the second half, but it was quickly erased on a countering three-pointer at the other end by Wichita State’s Tyson Etienne. Oklahoma got no closer than three points the rest of the way.

Here are some additional numbers and notes that tell more of the story of this game:

  • OU senior forward Kristian Doolittle led all scores with 22 points, including four three-pointers. He did not score his first points in the game until almost 14 minutes were gone in the opening half.
  • The Sooners had three other players reach double figures: Brady Manek and De’Vion Harmon (both with 14 points) and former Wichita State Shocker Austin Reaves (13 points).
  • Erik Stevenson, Wichita State’s leading scorer on the season, led the Shockers with 16 points, including four of seven from long range.
  • The Wichita State bench outscored the OU reserves 31-9, and the huge Shocker size advantage down low resulted in WSU outrebounding the Sooners 48-31.
  • Wichita State scored 34 points in the paint to 12 for Oklahoma; 17 points on fasbreaks to just 8 by the Sooners.
  • 42 of Oklahoma’s 75 points came on three-pointers (14 of 31).
  • OU is now 6-3 all-time against Wichita State. The loss broke a two-game winning streak against the Shockers.
  • A positive note: For the second straight game, Oklahoma committed fewer than 10 turnovers (7).

The Sooner men (7-2) play next on Tuesday on the road against Creighton.

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