Oklahoma (3-0) defeated Texas State (1-2) 93-54 Tuesday at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman.
Junior guard Javian McCollum led the Sooners in scoring with 15 points. Redshirt senior guard Le’Tre Darthard dropped 14.
Here are three takeaways from OU’s win:
Team effort
Oklahoma’s 39-point victory over Texas State was a group effort, but McCollum led the way.
He struggled against Mississippi Valley State, after only making one of six shots he attempted and shooting one of five from the 3-point line, but he bounced back against the Bobcats. Head coach Porter Moser attributes his improvements to his athleticism.
“He’s just so fast,” Moser said. “He can get to the rim so fast and then he can shoot, so people worry about him on the three, but he’s out there and he can just go by you.”
McCollum has been OU’s leading scorer in two of its three games. He also grabbed two rebounds and dished two assists. His efficiency on the floor opened up opportunities for his teammates to score — and they did.
Eight Sooners scored five or more points.
Sophomore guard Otega Oweh and redshirt junior John Hugley IV tallied nine and 12, respectively.
Sophomore guard Milos Uzan was also able to find offensive rhythm after struggling to generate points in the first two games of the season. Uzan, who was 5-of-16 from the floor and 2-of-7 from the 3-point line to start the season, finished 3-of-6, scoring eight for OU. Despite his offensive struggles, Uzan knows he can contribute in more ways than one.
“I’m just trying to do whatever it takes to win,” Uzan said. “Whether it’s getting my teammates involved or going out there and trying to be aggressive myself. I think I am in more of a leadership role right now, so whatever it takes, I am going to do.”
Defending the rim
Entering the contest, Texas State appeared to be one the best offensive rebounding teams in the country.
After the Sooners’ first game against Central Michigan, where they gave up 14 boards on the offensive end and 19 second-chance points, rebounding has been a priority. Against Mississippi Valley State, OU cut that total in half, allowing seven.
However, the Bobcats were a higher-caliber rebounding team.
Just two games into the season, the Bobcats had already grabbed 41 offensive boards — in comparison, OU had grabbed 25 — and were sitting at No. 6 on the NCAA leaderboard.
Texas State averaged 20.5 offensive rebounds per game, and minimizing chances and second-chance points was a priority for OU heading to the matchup.
“They came in the top of the country in offensive rebounding,” Uzan said. “We definitely wanted to make sure we boxed out, out to in, and we take away that. It is a big part, key to the game.”
The Sooners were able to hold Texas State to 13 offensive rebounds and allowed just 13 second-chance points. Hugley IV and senior guard Rivaldo Soares led the way, grabbing seven and eight rebounds, respectively.
Oklahoma not only protected the rim on the defensive end, but also held the Bobcats to a season-low 32 total rebounds. Texas State averaged 48.5 boards a game heading into the matchup.
Moore and Cooper return
Jalon Moore was back in Oklahoma’s starting lineup on Tuesday.
Moore, who transferred from Georgia Tech, suffered a hamstring injury in the second half of the Sooners’ first game of the season against Central Michigan. Against the Chippewas, he went 1-of-3 from the floor and 7-of-8 from the free-throw line before exiting the game.
He did not suit up last Friday against Mississippi Valley State.
In his return against Texas State, the junior started off the game strong, knocking down a quick 3-pointer before dunking it quickly after, but had to exit the game due to two early fouls. Moore finished the game 2-of-5. Despite having limited playing time against the Bobcats, his teammate, McCollum, acknowledges his presence.
“He brings athleticism, energy,” McCollum said. “He’s a great character. You always need somebody on your team like that. He’s diving for loose balls, he’s just the player we need. I feel like we got a complete team of everyone. We got shooters, we got guys that can get into the paint and distribute, guys getting on the boards, diving on loose balls, so I mean that’s great.”
Freshman guard Kaden Cooper also returned to the lineup against the Bobcats. Cooper, who was dealing with an ankle sprain, also missed the game against the Devils.
In his first collegiate game, Cooper was efficient, making 2-of-3 of his shots from the floor and going 1-of-2 from the 3-point line. That continued against Texas State. After a perfect first half, shooting 2-for-2, he finished the night 2-of-4 and 3-of-6 from the free throw line.
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— Oklahoma Basketball (@OU_MBBall) November 15, 2023
Oklahoma will wrap up its four-game home stand against the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley at 7 p.m. Friday at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman on ESPN+.
This story was edited by Colton Sulley and Jason Batacao.
