Four games into the conference portion of the schedule and one thing has been made clear, wins must be earned. Starting slow, the Oklahoma Sooners mustered a mere 29 points in the opening twenty minutes of play. The lack of production from three point range in the first half (1-of-12) left OU with 31-29 deficit at the break. Credit the Texas Tech Red Raiders defensive effort for shutting down an offense averaging 94.4 points per game.
Known for the pace of play and the scoring output, Lon Kruger’s program switched gears in the second half. Clamping down on defense, the Sooners utilized a 14-4 run to seize control of the contest. Holding a 46-35 lead with 13:51 remaining in regulation, Khadeem Lattin and the rest of the crew continued to dictate the style of play. Lattin finished the game with seven blocks.
Moments later, Oklahoma forced a 14th turnover eclipsing the Red Raiders’ average on the season. While the TTU offense shot 3-of-12 from the field to open the final twenty minutes, Trae Young began to find a rhythm. Scoring 22 points in the second half, the freshman helped OU maintain a lead throughout the remainder of the outing.
The effort produced a 75-65 victory and third win over a top ten program this season. Helping to secure the win, Christian James added 15 points on the evening. Shooting 50% from the floor, the junior continues to put impressive numbers this season.
Up next, the Sooners host a TCU program looking to get back on track.