ORU came to Norman as one of the hottest teams in the country from three-point range but the Sooners weren’t phased at all. A week after Xavier blistered the nets from long range against them, Lon Kruger’s squad clamped down hard on the perimeter in route to a 79-65 win.
The Golden Eagles only connected on 9-of-24 (37.5%) attempts from three-point range as Oklahoma’s defensive efforts never allowed ORU to find its shooting rhythm. The result was a fourth victory at home and improving confidence on the defensive end of the floor. The Sooners also beat ORU on the glass by a margin of 48-37, clearing 34 defensive rebounds in the process.
Offensively Oklahoma had three players score in double figures, led by Austin Reaves 18 points. Reaves also pulled down 10 rebounds and dished out seven assists in a near triple-double effort. Senior forward Brady Manek scored 17 and guard Umoja Gibson added 14 off the bench.
The Sooners will be back in Norman for Houston Baptist on Saturday afternoon (4:00) before jumping back into Big 12 play next week.
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