Oklahoma sent its seniors out in style on Tuesday night. The scored knocked off Cincinnati by a final score of 74-71 in an overtime game that was just a brawl. Le’Tre Darthard scored a season-high 18 points and his two free throws with 13.3 seconds left in overtime were clutch and helped lift Oklahoma to its 20th win of the season.
That 20th win is crucial to Oklahoma’s NCAA Tournament resume and marks the first 20-win regular season for head coach Porter Moser. They don’t have a berth locked up just yet but they certainly find themselves on the topside of the bubble now, and can pretty much lock a spot in the dance with another win.
So, how did we do with our keys to the game?
1. Production From The Bench
Not having Javion McCollum messed with things a bit, putting Darthard in the starting lineup instead. Regardless, the Oklahoma bench didn’t perform great. Moser went three players deep into his bench and they combined for 16 points on 5-for-15 shooting. In the first meeting against the Bearcats this season, Oklahoma’s bench produced 28 points.
We’re definitely going to tip our hat to Darthard who not only drilled a clutch three-point shot in the waning seconds of regulation, but also played a game-high 41 minutes.
2. Find A Way To Make Noise Inside The Paint
Sam Godwin only scored six points and grabbed three boards. However, he did start the overtime period with a dunk to keep the crowd involved.
Jalon Moore produced 16 points and grabbed seven boards. Altogether Oklahoma had 24 points in the paint with Godwin and Moore tallying 22 of them.
3. Get To The Free Throw Line & Take Advantage Of It
I definitely nailed this one. I absolutely loved watching how Oklahoma attacked Cincinnati’s shot blockers. The Sooners earned 34 trips to the free throw line, and made good on 28 of those attempts. This is where the game was won. No doubt about it. Again, Darthard was a master in this aspect of the game. He ended up attempting 14 free throws, making 12 of them.
Up Next
Oklahoma closes its regular season campaign at Texas on Saturday.