OU Basketball: Oklahoma Thriving in Second Halves to Begin 2024-25

The Sooners have outscored opponents 396-297 in their first nine games of the 2024-25 season.

Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Halftime deficits haven’t been a problem for Oklahoma early in the 2024-25 season.

Despite trailing at halftime in three of their first nine games, the Sooners are undefeated and ranked No. 13 in the AP Poll. OU has proven its ability to make halftime adjustments time and time again, winning the second half in every game except one.

“I love the resolve and the resiliency that we've found out going through this stretch,” OU coach Porter Moser said.

Oklahoma first showed this ability in what should’ve been a bye game.

In their second game of the season, the Sooners trailed Northwestern State 34-28. The Demons play in the Southland Conference and entered the game as 25-point underdogs.

OU, though, did what good teams do in the second half. The Sooners took the lead quickly after the break and went on to win 73-57, outscoring Northwestern State 45-23 in the final 20 minutes.

The Sooners again gave a mid-major opponent a chance in the East Texas A&M game on Nov. 21, leading the Lions by just five at halftime. But they did a similar thing, dominating the second half 46-23 to win 84-56.

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It’s a trend that has carried into OU’s tougher non-conference games.

At the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas, the Sooners trailed Providence by two at halftime. OU rallied late, holding a four-point advantage in the final 20 minutes to escape against the Friars.

OU led at halftime in its other two games at that tournament against Arizona and Louisville, both of which they won. The Arizona game is the Sooners’ only game in which they’ve been outscored in the second half in 2024-25.

Once the Sooners returned from the Bahamas, the Sooners did it again.

After a sloppy first 20 minutes of basketball for Oklahoma against Georgia Tech, the Yellow Jackets led 34-30. The Sooners followed their season-long pattern and dominated the second half, giving them a 76-61 ACC-SEC Challenge win.

In nine games, the Sooners have outscored opponents 396-297 in second halves. OU is averaging 44 points per game in the second half, which is 22nd nationally, while only allowing 33 second-half points per game.

A year ago, OU averaged only 39 second-half points per game.

There is still plenty of basketball to be played for the Sooners.

OU will battle two more teams from power conferences — Oklahoma State and Michigan — before beginning its first season of Southeastern Conference play. Plus, the SEC is loaded this year, placing nine teams in the latest edition of the AP Top 25 poll.

It’s worth noting that the Sooners got off to a similar 9-0 start last year where they beat a handful of power-conference opponents. They ended up faltering in conference play before missing out on the NCAA Tournament.

But the Sooners’ adjustments and efficiency in second halves early on should be encouraging to fans.

“You find a way to win close games,” Moser said. “You find a way to win. That's what you can build on.”