It's becoming a problematic pattern. This group of Sooner men needs to be able to play with the same toughness, effort and efficiency for a full game as they have repeatedly managed to do in the second half of games.
Oklahoma led from the opening tip in an ugly first half in which both teams combined for 23 turnovers (12 by the Sooners). South Carolina, like the Sooners seeking its first conference win of the season after four straight losses, took its first lead in the game, scoring eight of the first 10 points in the second half to go in front 38-36.
The Gamecocks led 42-38 with four minutes gone in the second stanza before the Sooners went on a 21-12 run to regain the advantage 59-54. Then a 15-0 OU run widened the gap to 20 points, 74-54, and effectively put the game away with 3:30 remaining.
Oklahoma (14-4, 1-4) finally picked up that elusive 14th win after opening the season 13-0. South Carolina fell to 10-8 and 0-5 in the conference. The Sooners will play their third straight SEC opponent still looking for its first conference win when they travel to Arkansas to play the Razorbacks on Saturday.
1. OU needs to get over becoming just a second-half team
For the second consecutive game, Oklahoma shot 60% or better in the second half accompanied by a couple of double-digit scoring runs. Fortunately, the deficit the Sooners had to overcome on Saturday against South Carolina was considerably smaller, and OU was able to win big in posting its first conference win as a new member of the SEC. And this is not just an isolated problem. Sluggish starts have been a season-long issue for the OU men.
The Gamecocks are not one of the better SEC teams, however, and the Sooners were able to win this game with a strong second-half showing after a turnover-prone first half. As they say, hope is not a strategy, and Oklahoma is not going to be able to win with that delayed approach against the rest of the teams on the schedule, which includes seven teams currently ranked in the top 25 and a couple of other teams just on the outside.
2. Sooners flip the turnover off switch in second half
The Oklahoma men have committed 18 turnovers in two of their last four games. This was not the case against South Carolina, but the Sooners did commit 11 turnovers in the first 20 minutes on Saturday afternoon. Fortunately, those 11 first-half turnovers led to just three points for the Gamecocks. As previously acknowledged, it was as if the Oklahoma team woke up in the second half.
When the ball goes in the basket with greater frequency and efficiency, it generally means turnovers are at a minimum. After the 11 first-half giveaways, the Sooners committed just one more the remainder of the game. Meanwhile, Oklahoma turned 18 South Carolina turnovers into 19 points at the OU end (9 in the first half and 10 in the second).
3. Jalon Moore stands out for the Sooners once again
Senior Jalon Moore has been on a shooting terror since SEC play began at the beginning of the month. The former Georgia Tech transfer and scoring leader has led the Sooners in scoring in four of the last five games. He poured in a career-high 29 against Texas on Wednesday and followed that with a game-best 22 vs. South Carolina, along with eight rebounds.