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Oklahoma basketball: Takeaways from Sooners 9th straight win, 79-70 over Arkansas

By Chip Rouse

Dec 9, 2023; Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Milos Uzan (12) gestures after scoring a basket against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the second half at BOK Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 9, 2023; Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Milos Uzan (12) gestures after scoring a basket against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the second half at BOK Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oklahoma basketball was in control most of the way in collecting its ninth straight win, a 79-70 win over Arkansas in the Crimson & Cardinal Classic in Tulsa on Saturday.

The game was close over the first 14 minutes before the Sooners went on a 16-4 run late in the first half to open up a 37-25 advantage at halftime. Oklahoma shot a sizzling 56 percent in the first half and cooled off only slightly, ending up at 51 percent for the game in winning the rubber game of the three-game series between the two teams.

The Sooners extended their halftime lead to 19 points in the first five minutes of the second half

OU and Arkansas split the previous two game in the Crimson & Cardinal Classic, Oklahoma winning 88-66 in the inaugural game in the series in 2021, and Arkansas rebounding with an 88-78 win last season. The nonconference series will be discontinued next season with the two teams meeting as part of the SEC conference schedule.

464. Final. 70. 524. 79

For the third time in the last four games and fifth time this season, the Sooners were led in the scoring column by Siena transfer Javian McCollum with 20 points. He also contributed five rebounds and four assists as Oklahoma remained unbeaten to start the 2023-24 season.

The Sooners leading scorer on the season, sophomore guard Otega Oweh added 14 points, and another OU newcomer this season, Rivaldo Soares, scored 13 points. For Soares, an Oregon transfer, it was his second best outing of the season. He scored 15 points in an Oklahoma win earlier over the University of Texas Rio Grande.

Khalif Battle had 13 points to lead the Razorbacks.

"“We’re trying to play more up-tempo and score more points and get more possessions, but the biggest thing we’re saying is we don’t want to do it at the expense of our defense,” said Sooner head coach Porter Moser in the postgame interview session."

Oklahoma is off until next Saturday when the Sooners will host Green Bay at Lloyd Noble Center.

Three takeaways from the Oklahoma win over future SEC foe Arkansas

  • Porter Moser wants to see tough defense creating more offensive opportunities this season. On Saturday, it was OU’s defensive performance in the late stage of the first half that allowed the Sooners to break open a close game with a 16-4 run and a 37-25 advantage to end the first half. Oklahoma held Arkansas, a team that averages 46 percent field-goal shooting, to 29.6 percent in the opening 20 minutes.
  • Oklahoma won the battle of the glass 33 to 25, including eight offensive rebounds that led to 13 second-chance points. The Sooners have been outrebounded just once in nine games this season, a stark contrast to a year ago.
  • The Sooners shot 56 percent from the field in the first half (14 of 25) and finished the game at 51 percent. It was the fifth time this season Oklahoma, which ranks fourth in the Big 12 in field goal percentage, has shot at least 50 percent from the field.
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