OU Basketball: Oklahoma Sails Past Prairie View A&M, Finishes Non-Conference Undefeated

With the win against Prairie View A&M, the Sooners improved to 13-0 and will begin SEC play next week.

Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

NORMAN — The non-conference portion of Oklahoma’s 2024-25 season is now in the rearview mirror.

The No. 12 Sooners took care of business against Prairie View A&M on Sunday, beating the Panthers 89-67. OU enters its first season of conference play in the SEC 13-0.

"I want to have joy for the win, and I know that we have to do some things better," OU coach Porter Moser said.

Here are three takeaways from the Sooners’ win against Prairie View A&M:

Well-spread scoring

Three Sooners paved the way for Oklahoma’s offense in the win against PVAMU.

Senior forward Jalon Moore led the Sooners with 22 points on 7-of-10 shooting. He also tallied six rebounds and a block in the win.

He wasn’t the only Sooner to make his mark on the game, though. Jeremiah Fears and Duke Miles were just behind Moore in the scoring column with 19 and 17 points, respectively.

Not as high-scoring as the other three, but Brycen Goodine and Glenn Taylor Jr. also posted strong offensive efforts, finishing with nine points each.

More struggles down low

Thankfully for Oklahoma, the Sooners’ speed and skill outmatched the Panthers.

But OU still had a tough time in the paint.

Prairie View A&M outscored Oklahoma 44-40 in the paint.

The Panthers held fifth-year Oklahoma forward Sam Godwin to just six points, and he made just one field goal.

Again, OU played well enough elsewhere to win comfortably against PVAMU. But there are certainly improvements to be made down low for the Sooners to compete against the best frontcourt players in the SEC.

Sooners still unbeaten

The Sooners’ 13-0 start is their best in the last 30 years.

Oklahoma began the 2015-16 season 12-0 and reached the Final Four. They went 12-0 to begin 2008-09 and made the Elite 8.

OU Basketball: Jeremiah Fears Earns Second SEC Freshman of Week Honor

In recent memory, an undefeated non-conference season is uncharted for Oklahoma. But that's not distracting Moser and his players from the task that lies ahead.

"There is a balance about having some joy and having a locker room that you really like... they're getting better," Moser said. "But there's a balance of having joy and knowing what lies ahead."

What’s next?

Well, the Southeastern Conference is no slouch.

The Sooners were one of 10 teams from the conference ranked in the latest AP Top 25 poll. Two others — Georgia and Missouri — received votes.

Long story short, there really aren’t any bad teams in the SEC. Every game will be challenging for the Sooners.

That said, every win is an opportunity for Oklahoma to improve upon its resume. With so many good teams in the league, there will be countless chances for the Sooners to boost their standing in various metrics and rankings.

"What I've learned about this team is that they're resilient," Moser said. "All expectations that were there beforehand are out the window."

Oklahoma opens SEC play on Jan. 4 on the road against Alabama. The Sooners’ first home SEC game will be against Texas A&M on Jan. 8.