How the Sooners won: Oklahoma fought fire with fire in this contest. Despite a slow start, the Sooners opened up their transition offense late in the first half, going up 50-30 at halftime after shooting 49 percent from the field. OU also held the normally explosive NSU
Key Stat: OU returned to their outside shooting form Sunday, going 10-21 (48 percent) from three-point range. When the Demons gained some momentum, the Sooners drained dagger threes to silence it.
Key Sooner: Isaiah Cousins is really coming into his own among OU’s crowded crop of guards. He can be such an efficient player when he’s under control and it showed today. The junior from Mount Vernon, N.Y., went 8-12 from the field, scoring 20 points and grabbing seven rebounds. He also shot 3-for-3 from beyond the arc in a game that displayed his dangerous skill set.
Key Opponent: Zeek Woodley was NSU’s go-to guy Sunday. The Demon’s struggled mightily on offense for most of the day, but the returning Southland Conference Freshman of the Year kept the contest respectable. The 6-foot-2 guard finished with 26 points and eight rebounds on only 11-20 shooting from the field.
What it means: OU improves to 2-1 on the year and bounces back from a disappointing loss Wednesday against Creighton. The Sooners can use this offensive performance as a confidence booster before facing the elite competition in the Bahamas.
What’s next: OU will face warmer weather and stiffer competition Wednesday when they travel to Nassau, Bahamas to face UCLA in the Battle 4 Atlantis. Tip-off is 1:30 p.m at the Atlantis Arena and ESPN2 will have the coverage.
