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Oklahoma basketball: Takeaways from senior night road ‘Doomer’ for Sooners

By Chip Rouse

Mar 1, 2023; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Kansas State Wildcats guard Markquis Nowell (1) drives to the basket against Oklahoma Sooners guard Milos Uzan (12) during the first half at Bramlage Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 1, 2023; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Kansas State Wildcats guard Markquis Nowell (1) drives to the basket against Oklahoma Sooners guard Milos Uzan (12) during the first half at Bramlage Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Oklahoma basketball men had two big problems working against them as they took the floor Wednesday night at Kansas State’s Bramlage Coliseum.

To begin with, it was senior night for a team heavy with senior leaders, a No. 11 national ranking and riding a three-game losing streak. In fact, the last game Kansas State lost this season was to Oklahoma, the visiting team at the place otherwise known as the “Octagon of Doom” on Wednesday night.

The Wildcats started on the slow side but finished in a flourish, scoring 51 second-half points to avenge the earlier 14-point loss to the Sooners with a double-digit win of their own and an 85-69 victory.

The Sooners (14-16, 4-13) found themselves in a no-win environment against a motivated K-State team playing extremely well this season and virtually unbeatable at home.

K-State got off to a slow start in the season home finale for the Cats. The Sooners led for most of the opening half. With the game tied at 25-all just under the four-minute mark, Kansas State closed out half on a 9-0 run to take a 34-25 advantage into the locker room at the break.

There was no let up by the Wildcats in the second half as K-State widened its lead to as many as 20 points just five minutes into the second stanza. The Sooners cut the margin to 10 points with two minutes remaining, but the Wildcats outscored OU 10-4 to close out the game.

Oklahoma has one game remaining in the regular season. The Sooners will host TCU on Saturday.

Three takeaways that tell the story of the Oklahoma road loss at Kansas State

  • The Sooners had virtually no rim protection in the K-State game. The Wildcats scored 44 points in the paint area and 24 additional points courtesy of fast breaks.
  • Kansas State is 16-0 this season when it shoots a higher percentage than its opponent. The Wildcats did that again on Wednesday night, shooting 53 percent from the field (70 percent in the second half) to 43 percent for Oklahoma.
  • Oklahoma’s three senior starters (Grant Sherfield, Tanner Groves and Jalen Hill, who combine for 36 points a game) totaled 17 points against Kansas State. A pair of OU true freshman, however, picked up the slack. Milos Uzan led the Sooners with 20 points in the game, and freshman teammate Oweh Otega contributed 18, a good sign for Oklahoma’s future.
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