OU Basketball: Three Takeaways from Oklahoma’s Bedlam Blowout

After sweeping Oklahoma State in the 2023-24, the Sooners will keep the Bedlam trophy.

Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Sooners are state champions once again.

No. 13-ranked Oklahoma beat Oklahoma State 80-65 at the Paycom Center on Saturday. It was the rivals’ first time playing each other as foes from different conferences, as OU joined the Southeastern Conference in July.

The win is Oklahoma’s third in a row against the Cowboys, with OU sweeping the 2023-24 Bedlam Series.

OU is 10-0 and one of three undefeated teams from the SEC.

Here are three takeaways from the Sooners’ win:

Sam Godwin manhandles Pokes

Sam Godwin played a legacy game in his final Bedlam showdown.

A fifth-year player, Godwin led the Sooners with 20 points on 10-of-14 shooting. He also logged 14 rebounds, three steals, two blocks and an assist.

Though Godwin began his college career at Wofford, he’s a native of Ada, OK. As someone that has lived in Oklahoma for most of his life, beating his in-state rival one last time was memorable.

"That was pretty exciting," Godwin said. "After my first year at OU, they beat us three times, so that kind of stuck with me. Tonight was to get even. I wish I could play them one more time so I could be up on my Bedlam record."

Earlier in the week, Godwin said that he took the trophy back to his place after last year’s Bedlam game and had kept it there until this week. OU coach Porter Moser said Godwin earned the right to keep the trophy again.

"Yea, sure. Why not?" Moser said. "It worked last time."

OU stifles Cowboys’ offense

From the tipoff to the final buzzer, Oklahoma State couldn’t find an offensive rhythm.

The Cowboys shot 25.9 percent from the field in the first half and went 2-of-12 on 3-pointers. That allowed OU to hold a staggering 43-26 lead at halftime.

OSU was similarly stagnant in the second half, going on a stretch where they went 1-of-8 from the field early on.

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

The Cowboys shot significantly better in the second half, posting a 51.7 percent clip from the field. But their first-half struggles were far too much to overcome.

"For us, the biggest thing? We were really trying to not let them get going in transition off our turnovers," Moser said. "In their wins, they’ve been averaging 24 points off turnovers. They really get after you defensively. I thought we did a good job with that."

Staying unbeaten

With only three games remaining in the non-conference season, the Sooners still haven’t lost.

Saturday’s win against the Cowboys is OU’s fifth against a power-conference opponent. The Sooners previously took down Providence, Arizona, Louisville and Georgia Tech.

It is the second year in a row that Oklahoma has opened the year 10-0.

Last year, though, the Sooners’ hot start didn’t carry into conference play. They went 8-10 in Big 12 games, finishing 20-12 and failing to reach the NCAA Tournament.

Before playing their first conference season in the SEC, Oklahoma will battle Michigan, Central Arkansas and Prairie View A&M. The Michigan game will be part of the Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte, while the other two games will be played in Norman.

"For us, we’re getting resume wins, so I was excited for that," Moser said. "It means a lot to the fan base to win this game. With us leaving to go to the SEC, it doesn’t mean rivalries have to die."