The Oklahoma Sooners snapped a losing streak against the Texas Tech Red Raiders over the weekend and hoped to add a win streak to their resume against the West Virginia Mountaineers. However, those dreams seemed to quickly be coming to an end as Jordan Woodard and the rest of the gang found themselves in a 15-point hole with time winding down in the second half.
Ripping off a 14-0 run, the Mountaineers seized the moment taking a 66-51 lead with 8:57 left to play in front of a home crowd. Continuosly attacking the basket, West Virginia scored easy buckets at the rim while also connecting from the free throw line. Not to be outdone, Oklahoma roared back in the next four minutes.
Utilizing an 18-3 run, the Sooners quickly closed the gap while tying the ballgame at 69-69 with 4:13 left in regulation. Battling back and forth, Woodard took control of the game scoring the final six points for the crimson and cream. On a final shot attempt, the senior guard drew a foul sending himself to the charity stripe with a chance to end the game on the line. Missing a free throw, the ‘Eers and Sooners played on into overtime.
Unable to pull away, Jevon Carter tied things up for WVU with just 7.8 seconds remaining in overtime. Driving the lane, it was OU’s Woodard who played the role of hero with a last second layup while falling to ground. The effort lifted Oklahoma to a 89-87 victory over a top ranked opponent for the first time this season.
In the past two games, Woodard has scored 47 points. This comes after missing the first three games of the conference slate. There’s no denying the lone senior’s value on this inexperienced roster. Look for Woodard to continue shouldering the load of responsibility.
Helping in the scoring effort, Kameron McGusty continues to produce. The freshman has earned three starts this season and scored 17 points against a physical Mountaineer squad. There are several building blocks on this roster and McGusty has to be one of them. He’ll stand alongside Rashard Odomes, Christian James, and Kristian Doolittle as the future of the program.
Up next, Oklahoma returns home to face the Iowa State Cyclones.