Report Card: Sooners move to 10-0 with 80-65 win over Oklahoma State

The No. 13 Oklahoma Sooners improved to 10-0 with a dominant 80-65 victory over Oklahoma State in Bedlam at the Paycom Center, and it was Oklahoma native Sam Godwin who stole the show. The big man posted a career-high 20 points and 14 rebounds, helping OU control the game from start to finish.

But Godwin wasn’t the only one who stood out. Kobe Elvis had an impressive performance, hitting five three-pointers on 5 of 7 shooting – an impressive feat considering the rest of the team struggled from beyond the arc (OU finished 3 of 16 without Elvis). Jeremiah Fears also kept his scoring streak in double figures, adding 17 points to the effort.

The Cowboys, fresh off their win over Seton Hall, are headlined by transfers Abou Ousmane and Marcehelus Avery, recruited by first-year head coach Steve Lutz. Avery led the way for Oklahoma State with 19 points, but besides him, no one else was able to get going as the Cowboys’ offense was out of sync all night, thanks to Oklahoma’s defense.

OU dominated this game from start to finish, leading 43-26 at halftime. In the second half, they quickly increased their lead to 27 points. It was a typical Bedlam beating. Now let’s move on to the victory report.

It’s an easy choice: it’s Godwin. His career-high double-double of 20 points to go with 14 rebounds was incredibly impressive. He also shot efficiently from the field, hitting 10 of 14. Another aspect of his performance was his ability to avoid fouls, playing 28 minutes on the night.

There have been times this season where Godwin has struggled to finish at the rim, but that wasn’t the case here. He excelled in the pick-and-roll and used his size effectively to get open. On top of that, Godwin was solid defensively, keeping Ousmane quiet all night.

The Cowboys made an effort to keep Jalon Moore quiet, and although Moore struggled with his shooting (just 2 of 9), he still managed to record 11 points. But one thing about this team: it has depth. Although their leading scorer had a quieter night, the other four starters all scored in double figures, highlighted by Godwin’s 20-point double-double and Elvis’ 15-point performance.

Elvis had a solid shooting performance, but what stood out was how he let the game come to him. Nothing seemed forced, and when the shots were there, he knocked them down. Fears finished with 17 points and five assists but also committed five turnovers. He only had six points in the first half, but played an important facilitator role, helping set up plays for others.

Duke Miles also scored in double figures with 10 points, ensuring that all of Oklahoma’s starters reached double figures. Miles had a rough first half, shooting just 1 of 6, but came alive in the second half, going 3 of 4 with some nice finishes at the rim.

Overall, it was a quieter night for Moore, but Fears scored 17 points, Godwin had a 20-point double-double, Elvis hit five threes for 15 points and Miles contributed 10 points. The starting five put in strong performances early in both halves, resulting in a solid night overall.

The starters certainly led the charge in this one, as Oklahoma’s bench only contributed seven points. Brycen Goodine scored three points for his only points of the night, but had foul trouble in the first half, as did Glenn Taylor, who did not score. Luke Northweather added a three-pointer late in the first half for his only points. Mohamed Wague checked in early, committed a quick foul and only played a minute.

With Goodine and Taylor struggling, Oklahoma turned to Dayton Forsythe, who recorded two assists in 10 minutes of play. Although the bench didn’t score much, the fact that they didn’t have struggled despite foul trouble from two key players is a testament to the Sooners’ depth. Last year, they just couldn’t go 10 deep.

Oklahoma defended Oklahoma State so well that Lutz was looking for answers, even trying to play both of his point guards, Khalil Brantley and Arturo Dean, at the same time. The Sooners forced the Cowboys into poor shot selection and shut down their half-court offense, which was truly impressive.

Oklahoma State’s struggles are reflected in their shooting percentages, especially in the first half. They shot just 7-27 (26%) from the field and 2-12 (17%) from behind the arc. Without their 10 successful free throws in the first half, this game could have been even uglier.

This was an impressive defensive performance from Oklahoma, limiting Oklahoma State to just 65 points on the night and just 26 in the first half. However, there were some mistakes, like leaving Avery open deep on several occasions. The Sooners still need to resolve these minor issues, but overall they have the Cowboys locked down.

Oklahoma shot 12-19 (63.2%) from the free throw line. It’s not just that they missed seven free throws, but also how they missed them: Many were one-and-ones. While it didn’t hurt them in this game, if they had shot better from the line it could have been a 30 point win.

Oklahoma can’t afford to miss free throws like this in conference, or even in its next game against Michigan (8-2), Wednesday in Charlotte.

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