Oklahoma coach Porter Moser called it an NCAA Tournament-like game, and the Wednesday night slugfest between the Sooners and 17th-ranked Kentucky had all the elements to match that description.
The Sooners (17-11, 4-11) might not be playing in the NCAA Tournament again this season -- they haven't made the tournament field since 2021, Lon Kruger's 10th and final season at OU -- but they may have played their best game, albeit in a losing effort, against a talented and deep Kentucky team that clearly is headed to March Madness in a few weeks.
Kentucky led by nine points in the first half and by eight early in the second half, and Oklahoma led by five midway through the second half in a contest that featured resiliency on the part of both teams along with nine lead changes and eight ties.
In the end, Oklahoma was done in by one of its former own in Kentucky junior guard Otega Oweh, who played two seasons at Oklahoma before transferring to Kentucky. Oweh took over the game in the second half, scoring 23 of his game-high 28 points over the final 20 minutes.
Otega Oweh! pic.twitter.com/yWu5U1NVb7
— Rare Rookies #BBN (@rarerookies) February 27, 2025
Moser had hoped for a full house at Lloyd Noble Center to help spur on the Sooners, and he got it with an announced crowd of 10,162, one of the largest of the season.
Boos rained down from the capacity home crowd directed toward the former Sooner Oweh during opening introductions and throughout the game, but it only seemed to motivate Kentucky's leading scorer this season more.
The game was tied four times over the final six minutes. A 3-pointer by OU's Glen Taylor Jr. with under two minutes to go gave Oklahoma the lead, 80-79. Oweh countered with a layup on Kentucky's next possession to put Big Blue back on top, 81-80.
Oklahoma's Jalon Moore, who led the Sooners with 20 points, drew a shooting foul and sank both free throws, giving the Sooners a one-point lead, 82-81, with 20 seconds remaining.
That set the stage for Oweh's game-winner, which came on an acrobatic hook shot over his head in the paint and over the outstretched arms of a couple of OU defenders. The shot bounced off the back iron before dropping cleanly through the net, taking the air out of the energized building.
Oklahoma still had hope with 6.1 seconds remaining, but Jeremiah Fears' floater was swatted away by Kentucky's Brandon Garrison at the buzzer.
There was some confusion after that play that might have changed the final outcome. At first, it appeared there might have been a foul called on Garrison.
After review, it turned out that Garrison drew a whistle for pushing and taunting after the play. The video replay, however, confirmed that the infraction had occurred after time had expired, and the game was declared over.
Moser talked about the confusion at the final buzzer and scuffling on the part of both teams in his postgame comments.
"It was two teams going at it," he said. "Competitive. Going at it. It was a high-level game. You got two teams going at it in February that wanted to win."
Oklahoma goes to Ole Miss on Saturday before finishing out the regular season next week, hosting No. 14 Missouri on Wednesday and at Texas on Saturday.
Three takeaways from a game both coaches said had the makings of a first-round NCAA Tournament game:
1. Sooners had chances at end but couldn't close out game
Oklahoma took a one-point lead, 64-63, at the 10:44 mark in the second half and extended the advantage to five points following baskets by Sam Godwin and Glenn Taylor Jr. The Sooners held on to a two- and four-point advantage over the next three minutes but were not able to put Kentucky away and, more particularly, shut down Otega Oweh.
Closing out games in which they held a second-half lead has been an issue this season for the Oklahoma men. Had they been more successful in doing so could have been the difference in four or even five more SEC wins.
2. Otega Oweh has career game against former team
The former Oklahoma Sooner scored a career-high 28 points, including 23 in the second half. He scored the final 18 points in the game for Kentucky.
Oweh has scored in double digits in 27 of his 28 games this season. Last year, in his sophomore season at OU, he had 18 games in which he scored in double digits, including three 20-point games with a high of 23.
Oweh is averaging 16.1 points a game this season for the Wildcats.
3. OU holds down SEC's best 3-point-shooting team
Kentucky came into the Oklahoma game leading the SEC in 3-point shooting percentage (37.6) and averaging nearly 10 made 3-pointers per game.
Against the Sooners, the Wildcats were just 7 of 23 (30.7%) behind the 3-point line. Meanwhile, Oklahoma made 10 of 25 (40%) from 3-point range, including four of six by Brycen Goodine.