Oklahoma | West Virginia | Defining Moment, Heroes, And A Problem Child

Craig HofeldJanuary 26, 2022 No Comments

Oklahoma took a trip to Morgantown looking to end a four game losing streak. The once 12-3 Sooners suddenly found themselves 12-7 and 2-5 in conference play.

Playing West Virginia on the road is never an easy task. Bob Huggins always has a well coached and very disciplined team on the floor. OU came out early with intensity on both ends of the court which is exactly what they needed to do in this one. This resulted in an early lead for Oklahoma.

West Virginia stayed close behind for the entirety of the first half. The Sooners were able to extend their lead to 11 at one point, but the Mountaineers quickly responded. The Sooners didnโ€™t shoot well from deep, but the team caused turnovers on defense which led to points and fueled the offense in the first half. OU took a 30-22 lead into halftime.

The Mountaineers came out strong to start the second half but the Sooners quickly put out those flames. West Virginia did have their runs in this game but it didnโ€™t stop Oklahoma from gaining their largest lead of 17 at one point. The Sooners out rebounded West Virginia 32-26 and also had 11 assists to the Mountaineers 7. OU put an end to the losing streak and improved their overall record in Morgantown to 6-4, but more importantly their season record to 13-7.

Game Defining Moment

The Sooners were hanging on to a lead heading into the final moments of the first half as the Mountaineers had gained a little momentum. Tanner Groves received an outlet pass just before the buzzer and hit a three from way out of town. This boosted OUโ€™s lead to 8 at halftime.

Heroes

How can you not go with the Groves brothers as the heroes in this one? They combined for a total of 33 points on only 17 shots. The brothers managed to grabbed a combined 10 rebounds as well.

The Problem Child

This is where we get a double mention for Tanner Groves. He was both a hero in this game and a problem child. He led all scorers with 21 points on 9-11 from the floor and grabbed 6 rebounds as well. The Sooners rely heavily on Tanner to be the centerpiece of the offense. He has struggled during the losing streak and seeing him get going again on Wednesday has to be a great sight for Sooner fans.

Playing #1 Again

The Sooners will be back on Saturday when they take on the #1 Auburn Tigers in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. The game will be at Auburn Arena making it the second time Oklahoma has played the #1 team in the country on the road this season. Tip-off is at 1:00 PM CST and will be televised on ESPN.

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