Oklahoma senior forward Sam Godwin thought the Bedlam basketball trophy was his for good.
“I actually stole it last year after the game because I didn’t think we would be playing them again,” Godwin said on Friday. “I really wanted to keep that trophy.”
As it turned out, Bedlam was brought back for the 2024 season and the trophy would once again be up for grabs. This iteration of the in-state rivalry would be played inside Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Ok.
“I don’t want to give that trophy back,” Godwin said Friday. “I want to keep that thing as a memento of my time here.”
So it was only fitting that with the trophy back up for grabs, Godwin scored a career-high 20 points in what is likely to be his final performance against the Cowboys and led the No. 13 Sooners (10-0) to a 80-65 victory over Oklahoma State (6-3) Saturday night. After going winless against the Cowboys his first year at OU, the senior forward has picked up three straight wins against the Sooners in-state rival.
The 𝐒𝐨𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫 State 📍#BoomerSooner ☝️ pic.twitter.com/3ZnVvAbXx7
— Oklahoma Basketball (@OU_MBBall) December 15, 2024
“It was good to get another win and even out the score,” Godwin said. “I wish we could play them one more time so I could have more wins than losses, but I’ll take the tie.”
Along with being the leading scorer for the Sooners, Godwin scored the first six points for OU and opened the game six-for-six from the field. Godwin finished the game on 10 of 14 shooting and was the leading scorer for the Sooners. The senior also pulled down 14 rebounds, swatted away two blocks and picked up three steals.
The 20 points for Godwin surpasses a previous high that was set at 17, which he scored on three separate occasions. Head coach Porter Moser thought Godwin came out of the gates with a lot of energy, and that set the tone for the rest of the game.
“Sam was finishing well early,” head coach Porter Moser said after the win. “He was getting to his spots and knocking down shots.”
“I’m very happy for him to have a game like this one against Oklahoma State. It meant a lot to him.”
Godwin was not the sole bright spot for OU on offense. Five Sooners finished in double figure scoring. Freshman guard Jeremiah Fears scored 17, graduate transfer guard Kobe Elvis scored 15, senior forward Jalon Moore scored 11 and graduate transfer Duke Miles scored 10.
Oklahoma shot 49.2% from the floor (30-of-61) and 34.8% from three (eight-of-23). The Sooners scored 42 points in the paint and put 17 second chance points back on the board. OU never trailed and had a lead as high as 27 points at one point in the second half.
“It was just a good game,” Moser said. “I thought we were taking good shots and knocking them down as well. I was proud of the effort from the guys tonight.”
That effort for the Sooners started in the first half on defense. OU took a 17-point lead into the locker room and only allowed the Cowboys to score 26 points. The 26 points set a new low-mark for the OU defense this season.
In the first half, Oklahoma State only managed 25.9% shooting (seven-of-27) from the floor and 16.7% (two-of-12) from three. 10 of the Cowboys 26 points came from the free throw line and the Sooner defense forced five steals and 11 total turnovers.
Fears with the flush 💥📺 » ESPNU | @jeremiahfears2 pic.twitter.com/UTwF59jIQk
— Oklahoma Basketball (@OU_MBBall) December 15, 2024
OSU only scored eight points in the paint and only pulled in six offensive rebounds. The Sooners also prevented the Cowboys from getting out and running on them, holding Oklahoma State to two fastbreak points.
“Give credit to Oklahoma,” Oklahoma State head coach Steve Lutz said following the game. “They made it incredibly tough for us to score in that first half. They were active and forced us into bad decisions that were incredibly costly.”
The deficit created in the first half was too much for the Cowboys to overcome, and the Sooners were able to ride their way to a comfortable Bedlam victory, giving the Sooners fans in attendance good reason to cheer.
“I thought the crowd tonight was awesome, on both sides,” Moser said after the game. “Games like this, atmospheres like this are what makes college basketball special. Playing an in-state rivalry like this one in an NBA arena is always fun for the fans and the players.”
While the future of Bedlam after tonight remains uncertain, the Sooners and Sam Godwin were able to claim one more victory and kept the trophy in Norman. Or, perhaps more accurately, kept the trophy at Godwin’s house.
“Sam can keep the trophy,” Moser said with a chuckle. “If he wants to keep it, he can keep it.”
“It’s going back to my house,” Godwin said. “I didn’t want to give it back, and I’m not going to give it back.”
OU is back in action on Wednesday, Dec. 18 for the Jumpman Invitational against No. 14 Michigan (8-2) at 8 p.m. in Charlotte, North Carolina.
