Oklahoma basketball: Three takeaways from Sooners OT loss to Butler
By Chip Rouse
Oklahoma men’s basketball squandered a couple of double-digit second-half leads and was never able to put the undermanned Butler Bulldogs away, eventually falling 66-62 in overtime.
The Sooners (7-2) were actually fortunate to make it into overtime. An off-balance, desperate three-point shot by senior guard Elijah Harkless swished through the net with just two seconds left in regulation, sending the game to an extra session deadlocked at 54-all.
Oklahoma jumped out in front 56-54 20 seconds into the overtime period on a two-point short jumper by Harkless and widened its lead to 62-58 with a minute and a half to go on a three-pointer by Jordan Goldwire, but those would be the final points of the night for the Sooners. Butler scored the final eight points to pull out the victory.
Three OU starters scored in double figures, but the Sooner shooting was too inconsistent, especially in the late going in both regulation and in the overtime. This was a game OU should have and easily could have won, but they let it slip away and instead of being 8-1 heading to play the 14th-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday they head out on the road with a second loss on their season resume.
Harkless led all Oklahoma scorers with 16 points, none more important than his three-ball to send the game into overtime. Goldwire and Tanner Groves contributed 10 points each, all 10 of Groves’ coming in the first half.
The Sooners led most of the way until Butler took only its second lead of the game at the 2:40 mark in the second half. Oklahoma’s largest lead in the game was 13 points, 39-26, five minutes into the second stanza.
Oklahoma was outrebounded by 13 boards (43-13). Butler pulled down 15 offensive rebounds, which led to eight more shots than the Sooners took in the game (63-56).
Butler sophomore transfer Chuck Harris led all scorers with 26 points.
This game was part of the Big 12/Big East Challenge, which is in its inaugural season. Here are three takeaways from the game.
Oklahoma late-game scoring drought dearly cost Sooners
After shooting 52 percent in the first half (13 of 25), Oklahoma cooled off to 37. 5 percent in the second 20 minutes on 9 of 24 shooting. During a 9-0 Butler run late in the second half to take a 50-49 lead, the Sooners missed nine straight shots. That span of time ended up being the difference in the game. Oklahoma also missed three consecutive shots in the final 1:38 of overtime after taking a 62-58 lead.
Snaps 26-game home-court win streak against nonconference opponents
Coming into the game, Oklahoma had won 26 consecutive games at home against nonconference opponents. That streak came to an end on Tuesday night. The last time Oklahoma lost at Lloyd Noble Center to a nonconference foe was to Florida in 2017 as part of the annual Big 12/SEC Challenge.
Scarcity of free throws
Oklahoma attempted just five free throws the entire game, two in the first half and three in the second half, going three for five at the charity line for the game. The Sooners have averaged 13 free throws through nine games.