Oklahoma-Saint Francis University Men's basketball game

OU men's basketball defeated Saint Francis 102-66 Monday night at the Lloyd Noble Center.

The season opener gave fans their first official look at the Sooners' reloaded roster, featuring nine new players: five freshmen and four transfers. Coming off an 84-83 exhibition win against No. 24 Wisconsin in Milwaukee, the Sooners delivered again, but this time in dominant fashion.

Here are three takeaways from Monday night’s game:

 

Wague dominates first half

Senior forward/center Mohamed Wague had his fingerprints all over the first half, showcasing his abilities as a two-way player.

In his fifth start for the Sooners, Wague led the team with 12 first-half points on 5-of-7 shooting and converted two of three-and-one opportunities.

Wague also made his presence known at the rim, denying the Red Flashes three times and contributing half of the Sooners' six blocks in the first half, with redshirt senior guard Nijel Pack having two and junior guard Xzayvier Brown getting one as well.

“We made it intentional,” Wague said. “We got to take pride on the defensive side … we really wanted to play hard and make sure we show what we can do on defense.”

The 6-foot-10-inch forward/center also managed to get a steal, further showcasing active hands on the defensive end, and contributed an assist that led to a three-pointer from Brown early in the first half.

As for rebounds, Wague picked up four, splitting them evenly on the offensive and defensive ends. In his 14 minutes on the floor, Wague showed the work he put in during the offseason is paying off, as he had a box-plus-minus of +10 in a tight 45-44 game heading into halftime.

“He’s picked up where he finished off,” head coach Porter Moser said. “Giving us a lot of value of defense, rebounding (and) energy.”

 

Davis fills Jalon Moore's shoes

Following the departure of Jalon Moore, the Sooners didn't have to wait long to get their hands on another high-octane slashing forward.

Senior forward Tae Davis, a 6-foot-9-inch transfer from Notre Dame, played some serious bully ball tonight, attacking the rim with efficiency and picking up players for full-court presses off the inbound all game long.

The forward finished the game with 16 points, eight rebounds, three assists and one steal. Davis went 8-of-12 from the field, with a majority of his looks coming from in and around the paint.

That kind of high-motor play was something Sooners fans were used to seeing out of Jalon Moore night in and night out, and Davis delivered a similar burst of energy against St. Francis.

 

Atak shines in long-awaited debut

Redshirt freshman forward Kuol Atak wasted no time in his debut. Atak put on a show for Sooner fans, displaying his three-level scoring ability in his 20 minutes on the floor.

The redshirt year proved well worth the wait, as Atak's game looked well-polished. 

“I came out there, made sure my mind was right, mentally staying locked in,” Atak said. “Being able to slide your feet, going down, being able to drive, I feel like it just helps every aspect of the game.”

Finishing with an impressive +25 box-plus-minus, he led the team in scoring with 18 points, while also contributing two rebounds and one block on the night. Atak had a solo 8-0 run midway through the second half and received a standing ovation when he left the game for the final time.

“We know what he can do, how much of a threat he is, stretching the floor with his shot,” Moser said. “I loved the play when he hit two in a row, then all of a sudden he faked it and drove it in. That’s growth.”

Atak was the only freshman to log significant minutes in tonight's win, with true freshman guard/forward Alec Blair checking in with just 2:49 remaining in the game. His performance tonight will certainly warrant consideration from Moser to get Atakmore involved and into the starting lineup as the season moves on.

Next, the Sooners (1-0) head to Spokane, Washington, to face the No. 21 Gonzaga Bulldogs (1-0) at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday.

This story was edited by Laurie Jones.

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