Basketball: Three Takeaways From Oklahoma's 73-57 Win Over Northwestern State

The Sooners improved to 2-0 Monday night inside the Lloyd Noble Center.

Mar 5, 2024; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners head coach Porter Moser gestures to his team on a play against the Cincinnati Bearcats during the first half at Lloyd Noble Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Gone cold

Oklahoma hit four of their first 18 3-point attempts. While the Sooners struggled, the Demons had plenty of luck from the floor, leading for a 19-minute stretch in the middle of the game. After halftime, the Sooners only attempted seven triples.

OU found its rhythm late and hit two consecutive attempts, finishing 6-21 and bringing its season 3-point percentage to 36% through two games. The Sooners shot 29-32-77 spits in the win. 

Freshmen

Newcomers Jeremiah Fears and Dayton Forsythe logged a combined 35 minutes Monday night. Fears was first off the bench after scorching Lindenwood’s defense last Monday for 16 points and six assists. Forsythe entered the game at the 8:33 mark of the first half and played for five minutes. Fears registered a team-high plus-22 and scored 15 points on 6-11 shooting.

Maybe somebody should have gone after Micah Thomas

Monday night, Micah Thomas put a team-high 20 points on OU’s defense in Norman less than 30 miles from where he grew up. Thomas once scored an Oklahoma high school basketball state tournament record 45 points in the 2019 6A semifinal game and led Putnam City North High School to a state championship the year prior. He was available late in his senior year and has since been on the market several times after stops at Texas State, Northwest Florida State, Indiana State and Nicholls State. Neither Lon Kruger’s nor Porter Moser’s administrations gave him an offer. He looked like the best player on the floor during several stretches of basketball Monday.