OU Basketball: Oklahoma Survives Overtime Battle to Topple Texas Tech

Big 12 wins are hard to come by, and Oklahoma is no stranger to struggle.

But OU finally got off the mark Saturday, relying on Jalen Hill’s eight points in the final 1:35 of overtime to seal the Sooners’ first conference win of the year.

After leading by as many as 13 points in the second half, Porter Moser’s Sooners finally defeated the Texas Tech Red Raiders 68-63 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock.

As the teams prepared for the stretch run, the Sooners appeared to be in command, but a familiar face returned to Oklahoma.

OU led 48-35 with 8:45 left, but former Sooner guard De’Vion Harmon led a furious comeback to hand his former team its third straight conference loss to start Big 12 play.

Harmon scored 19 of his 23 points on the night in the second half, including eight points in the final five minutes of regulation to force overtime.

Hill’s overtime heroics saw him finish as OU’s leading scorer with 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting, adding nine rebounds, but true freshman Milos Uzan led the charge in the second half.

Uzan scored 16 of his 18 points after halftime, including two clutch free throws to send the contest into overtime, silencing the Red Raider crowd at times as Texas Tech climbed back into the game.

Although OU’s offense (10-5 overall, 1-2 Big 12) eventually got into a groove, the Sooners had to weather another slow start.

Oklahoma turned the ball over six times in the game’s first eight minutes, allowing the Red Raiders (10-5, 0-3) to build a seven-point lead in the opening period.

Texas Tech’s defense frustrated OU’s offense, leading to several shot clock violations as Grant Sherfield settled into rhythm.

But the Sooner guard found his footing, finishing with eight points in the first half to help the Sooners march into the game.

Moser’s team matched Sherfield’s field goal with a determined defense — forcing four Red Raider turnovers in the final six minutes of the half — to take a 24-23 lead into the intermission.

The Sooners appeared to take control of the contest with 16 minutes left in the game.

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First Sherfield, then Uzan and CJ Noland all connected on three pointers to break a 27-27 deadlock and put OU up by nine points.

Oklahoma’s momentum was broken when Tanner Groves was fouled offside with 5:05 left in the game and Harmon’s Red Raiders took advantage.

With 3:30 left in the game, Sherfield was unable to hit a runner moving to his right.

The puck found Harmon in transition, who went coast-to-coast and absorbed contact from Hill, finishing a layup after the foul.

He sank his free throw to cut OU’s lead to 52-48, ensuring the Sooners would have to survive another nervy finish.

Harmon came back to torment his former team again, tying the game at 54 with 1:15 left on a left-handed layup.

As Oklahoma squandered possessions down the field, Kevin Obanor hit a layup with 23 seconds left to put the Red Raiders up a double.

On the other end, Moser went back to his freshman and Uzan drew a foul.

He sank Oklahoma’s second and third free throw attempts of the night, and the Sooner defense held on to force overtime.

Sherfield finished the night with 11 points, five rebounds and five assists, and Groves also added seven points and 10 rebounds for the cause before fouling out.

OU desperately needed the win, as the road ahead doesn’t get any easier.

Next, the Sooners will travel to Lawrence to take on the No. 1 ranked Kansas Jayhawks. 3 at Allen Fieldhouse on Tuesday at 8 p.m.

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