Oklahoma basketball: Three-pointers as depleted OU surprises No. 9 Bama

Despite missing two starters, Oklahoma basketball continued its improbable run against top-10 teams with a 66-61 win at Lloyd Noble Center over No. 9 Alabama on Saturday.

The Sooner victory registered the Big 12’s first win of the day in the 8th annual Big 12/SEC Challenge, and improved Oklahoma’s overall record in the interconference challenge series to 6-2.

The Sooners had beaten two No. 9-ranked teams already this month, but without their leading scorer, Austin Reaves, and starting guard Alondes Williams, no one but the Sooners themselves thought they would have a fighting chance against the best team in the SEC.

Reaves, who averages over 15 points a game, and Williams, who scores almost eight a game, were held out of the game because of COVID-19 protocols. Their absence did not become officially known until Saturday morning.

The fact that OU was facing a team that has won 10 consecutive games and averages 81 points a game without two key players appeared to have more of an impact on the visiting Crimson Tide at the outset of the game than the depleted Sooners.

An aggressive Oklahoma defense set the tone early, forcing three Alabama turnovers in the opening two minutes and running out to an 11-2 advantage four minutes into the game. It was almost like Alabama came into the game, after hearing that the Sooners would be without Reaves, without the same intensity and energy the Crimson Tide might have had otherwise.

Bama did manage to right the ship after the initial OU charge, taking a brief 20-19 lead midway through the first half, but the Sooners responded and took a 32-29 advantage into halftime, sending a strong message that they weren’t going to go away despite being undermanned.

Oklahoma opened up a 12-point advantage midway through the second half. Bama roared back to go in front 60-59 with just under four minutes to go, but the Sooner defense held the Crimson Tide to no field goals and just one point over the final 3:44 in the game and OU closed out the game on a 7-0 run to seal the win.

Down two starters, Sooners turn to defense to extend top-10 winning streak

Despite being short-handed, and perhaps even because of it, the Sooner defense held Alabama to 20 points below its season average and its second lowest point total of the season. The Crimson Tide came into Saturday’s game with a scoring average of 81.1. Oklahoma shot 40.3 percent for the game and held the SEC’s No. 1 team to 35.7 percent in the second half and 38.9 percent for the game.

Over the last two season, Oklahoma is 24-1 when it shoots a higher percentage than its opponent.

Devion Harmon and Umoja Gibson combined for nearly half of OU’s scoring

With no Austin Reaves, the Sooners needed someone else or multiple players to step up and replace the lost production. De’Vion Harmon scored 18 to lead the Sooners, but three other OU players contributed double figures.

Umoja Gibson took Reaves’ place in the starting lineup and came through with 12 points, including three of four from beyond the three-point line, in 33 minutes of action. Elijah Harkless made some big shots down the stretch and finished with 14 points.

Senior forward Brady Manek has been struggling since returning to the Oklahoma lineup after missing a couple of games because of COVID-19. Manek scored 12 points, most of which came in the second half, and made it into double figures for only the second time in his last seven games.

Sooners control the offensive and defensive glass, limiting Bama second chances

As much as anything, Oklahoma’s domination on the boards was the difference-maker in this game. The Sooners had a 42-34 rebounding advantage, including 13 offensive rebounds that led to 10 second-chance points. Victor Iwuakor had five of OU’s 13 offensive boards.

The Sooners’ strong rebounding performance, especially on the offensive end,  resulted in no second-chance points by Alabama.

Next up

The Sooners head to Lubbock, Texas, on Monday for an ESPN Big Monday showdown with No. 11 Texas Tech.

Oklahoma is likely to get a serious jump in the top-25 rankings after wins over No. 5 Texas and No. 9 Alabama. A week ago, the Sooners defeated then-No. 9 Kansas.

The Sooners become only the second team in the last 25 years to beat three top-10 teams in a row and the first team since 1996, according the Stats, Inc., to face six top-10 teams in the same month. OU is 4-2 this month against teams ranked in the top 10 of the Associated Press Top 25.