On Saturday, the Oklahoma Sooners moved to 19-8 on the season in exhilarating fashion. Taking on the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Sooners took part in potentially the last Bedlam matchup for the near future. Of course, the two teams played early in the conference schedule in Norman, meaning this matchup came in the Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, OK.
For the Sooners, it was a big game. They entered the matchup with a 6-7 Big 12 record and on a two-game losing streak. With the Cowboys on a two-game winning streak and having seemingly turned things around on the season.
Oklahoma State took control of the matchup early, and it felt like the Sooners were playing from just behind the Cowboys for the majority of the game. Though the end of regulation was chaotic as it saw Oklahoma State guard Javon Small miss the first of his 1-and-1 free throws, the Sooners eventually forced overtime.
Oklahoma jumped on the Cowboys early in overtime, but Oklahoma State weathered the storm and held a one-point lead heading into the final possession. Oklahoma guard Javian McCollum then took matters into his own hands, dribbling out the clock and taking a go-ahead 3-pointers. While it wasn’t the cleanest look, McCollum sunk the game-winner as time expired, putting a perfect ending to the Bedlam basketball series.
It’s hard to imagine the two teams don’t continue to play each other, and the matchup seems like a perfect non-conference series for both programs early in the basketball season.
Sooners get back on track in storybook fashion
While the shot was an incredible ending to the series against Oklahoma State, it was also a crucial shot for the Sooners’ hopes to make the NCAA Tournament this season. A loss would have dropped the team to 18-9 on the season and 6-8 in Big 12 play with three straight losses.
Porter Moser, in his third season with the Sooners, is having his best season of his tenure as he’s building towards an NCAA Tournament as he continues to turn the basketball program around.
Future outlook for Oklahoma
McCollum’s heroics might’ve been just enough to have a storybook finish to Bedlam while also setting the Sooners back on track ahead of their upcoming matchup against No. 6 Iowa State before they take on No. 2 Houston. The end of the Sooners’ conference schedule is far from favorable as two of their last four games are ranked teams, and playing unranked Texas and Cincinnati are no easy games.
Finishing out the season 3-1 feels like the best-case scenario as Oklahoma continues to explore its ceiling on the season. If they’re going to make some noise in the Big 12 Tournament ahead of a potential NCAA Tournament bid, finishing strong will be incredibly important.
Soares’ big game
While McCollum hit the big shot, he didn’t particularly have the best game leading up to that moment. He finished with 14 points on 5-of-16 shooting in his 38 minutes of action.
Fresh off an ankle injury, senior guard Rivaldo Soares battled his injury to provide a solid 28 minutes of action. He scored 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting and 3-of-3 on 3-pointers. His impact was huge in a game they might not have won without him.
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