Even in a short time, Sam Godwin was a godsend in Oklahoma's upset over No. 15 Missouri

It was a game the Oklahoma Sooners' men's basketball team absolutely needed to have to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive, and they went out and got it -- in commanding fashion.

Super freshman Jeremiah Fears led the way for the Sooners (18-12, 5-12) with a career-best 31 points, one of four OU players to score in double digits, as Oklahoma avenged an earlier 24-point loss to No. 15 Missouri with a dominant 96-84 upset win on Senior Night at Lloyd Noble Center on Wednesday.

Oklahoma's 96 points were one shy of the most scored by the Sooners this season. OU had 97 points in a 97-67 home win over Vanderbilt on Feb. 1.

Eighteen of Fears' 31 points came in the second half, including a perfect 10 of 10 at the free-throw line.

The Sooners led all but 41 seconds in the game, shooting a sizzling 69% in the opening half, and took a 50-37 advantage into the locker room at halftime. It was the most points scored in the first half this season by Oklahoma. OU made eight more field goals in the opening half than the visiting Tigers, including four of seven from 3-point range.

Oklahoma continued to pour it on in the second half, with the lead growing to 18 points at the 12:28 mark. The Tigers cut the lead down to eight points with under two minutes to go in the game, but that was a close as Missouri got as the Sooners made sure that this one was not going to get away. OU outscored Mizzou 12-8 in the final two minutes to ensure the victory.

As in the first game between the two teams, Mark Mitchell and Caleb Grill led the Tigers on the offensive end with 18 and 16 points, respectively.

The Oklahoma win sets up a classic Red River Rivalry showdown on Saturday in Austin, Texas, with both teams on the NCAA Tournament bubble and listed in Joe Lunardi's latest ESPN Bracketology projections among the first four teams left out of the tournament.

Three takeaways that tell more of the story of this game:

1. Sooners make sure the win is not in doubt at end

After losing three of its last five games by three points or less and holding leads in all three with under a minute to go, Porter Moser's Sooners were determined not to let that happen in OU's home finale on Senior Night.

Oklahoma jumped out in front right from the start, shooting 69% in the first half. The Sooners built an 18-point lead halfway through the second half. Missouri slowly cut into the OU lead and got it down to eight points in the closing minutes, but the Sooners held on and actually widened the advantage at the end.

The Sooners cooled off somewhat in the second half, but still ended up shooting 57% for the game, including 25 of 26 at the free-throw line. OU shot just six free throws in the first half and made all six, and when they needed it the most, the Sooners were 19 of 20 at the charity stripe in the second half.

2. Sam Godwin a godsend in getting OU off to hot start

For most of the season, starting senior forward Sam Godwin has averaged six or fewer points a game. In his last four games, however, Godwin has averaged 12 points. On Wednesday night against Missouri, the 6-foot-10 senior scored eight of Oklahoma's first 10 points.

Godwin scored a dozen points before having to leave the game with 5:32 to go in the first half with an apparent knee injury. Godwin did not return to the game. He was seen on the bench in the second half with a bag of ice wrapped around his right knee and a brace on the leg. The status of his injury is not known, as Porter Moser said postgame that they will evaluate Godwin's condition day to day.

3. Unlike earlier matchup, Oklahoma scores half of points in paint

In the first game with Missouri this season, the Sooners weren't able to buy a basket in the paint, scoring just 24 points in the paint compared to 40 by Missouri.

On Wednesday night, playing at home, Oklahoma was able to reverse that disparity. Half of OU's 96 points were scored close to the basket in the paint area. On the defensive end, Missouri was held to 34 points in the paint.