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Oklahoma Outlasts South Alabama in Dramatic Finish

The Sooners fell behind early but Grant Sherfield powered them back with an offensive torrent, and Tanner and Jacob Groves delivered big plays down the stretch.

John E. Hoover

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Grant Sherfield is growing quickly into his role as Oklahoma’s floor leader.

After a slow start against South Alabama Friday night at Lloyd Noble Center, Sherfield asserted himself with a second-half outburst that finally created a little separation and enabled the Sooners to slide into a dramatic 64-60 victory.

Sherfield finished with a team-leading 17 points and eight assists, Tanner Groves added contributions all over the floor, and Jacob Groves clinched it with a chase down blocked shot in the final seconds.

"Kind of one of those weird, broken down plays that just happen," Jacob Groves said. "They kind of trapped (Jalen) Hill and got a tip on the ball. ... So, you see something like that happen. It's like someone has got to step up and get his back. So I just happened to be in the right spot at the right time and was able to make a play on the ball.

"It was kind of cool actually. Some of the guys were saying it's probably the most athletic thing they've ever seen me do. It was good." 

"It’s on our wall in there," said OU coach Porter Moser. "Never quit on a play."

OU improved to 3-1, while South Alabama fell to 1-3.

Sherfield got the torrent started early in the second half when he patiently waited for the defense to settle, drove into the lane and pulled up for a 15-foot jump shot that gave the Sooners a 42-39 lead.

On the Sooners’ next possession, Sherfield slipped a slick pass to Tanner Groves for an open bucket and a 44-41 edge.

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And on the next trip downcourt, Sherfield broke down the South Alabama defense and got to the rim for a 46-41 lead with 13:59 to play.

"He’s really hard to guard," Moser said. "He had two or three assists off those lob dunks because they had to make a decision."

That gave the Sooners a field goal on seven consecutive possessions and continued an extended 27-10 run that began late in the first half.

After falling behind early, the Sooners finished the first half on an 11-2 run, forcing South Alabama into five straight missed field goals to end the half.

The Sooners had hit just 6-of-22 field goals and found themselves down 31-19 after a 3-pointer by USA’s Greg Parham with 4:47 left in the first half.

That’s when OU finally heated up.

The Sooners made their final four shots of the first half — two layups by Joe Bamisile, a pick-and-roll dunk on a pass from Sherfield to Tanner Groves, and jump shot by Groves — and cut the lead to 31-30 before two free throws by the Jaguars’ Tyrell Jones.

Oklahoma shot 0-for-6 from beyond the 3-point stripe in the first half.

But a layup by Jacob Groves — on a high-post feed from his brother — with 17:43 left gave the Sooners a 34-33 lead. Tanner Groves added another assist two possessions later on a backdoor cut to C.J. Noland for a reverse layup and a 38-36 lead with 16:30 left.

Another Sherfield dish to Tanner Groves for a layup made it 53-50.

As Sherfield and Groves stayed dialed in throughout the second half, Milos Uzan finally ended OU’s 0-for-9 skid from the perimeter, hitting the Sooners’ first 3-pointer with a bucket from the right corner with 9:05 to play for a 56-52 Sooner lead.

Tanner and Jacob Groves after Jacob's game-clinching blocked shot.
Tanner and Jacob Groves after Jacob's game-clinching blocked shot / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

Still, USA wouldn’t back down.

Kevin Samuel and Isaiah Moore both converted layups to tie it with 8:20 to play, setting in motion the dramatic finish.

As the Sooners cooled off, the Jaguars heated up, tearing off eight unanswered points and turning the 56-52 deficit to a 60-56 lead.

Sherfield, however, knocked down a 3-pointer from the right wing with 4:13 showing to cut it to 60-59.

With 2:53 to play, after USA switched to a zone defense thanks to OU’s continued cold perimeter shooting, Jacob Groves beat the shot clock with a 3 from out front that put Oklahoma back in front 62-60.

"We ran a play for Grant and it kind of broke down," Jacob Groves said. "I passed up a 3-pointer with probably 13 or 14 seconds on the clock. I'm thinking 'Dang, I shoulda shot that one.' I reversed it to Grant and he got kind of trapped. I said 'If this ball comes back to me, it's going up.' Sure enough, it came back. Didn't feel great off the hands but it went in. Sometimes you just gotta take your luck. It was good." 

Parham missed the front end of a 1-and-1 free throw with 1:16 left, and after Samuel missed a 4-foot turnaround, the Sooners committed a turnover but got it back on Jacob Groves’ big blocked shot with 19 seconds to play. Sherfield iced it with two more free throws.

Isaiah Moore, who came in averaging 17.7 points per game, poured in 25 for South Alabama.

Tanner Groves went 0-for-10 from 3-point range but was active everywhere else, pouring in 15 points with 11 rebounds and six assists.

"That was probably the worst-best game I've ever had," Tanner Groves said. "I think had a double-double and six assists and then 0-for-10. So, just scratching my head at that number because I put in a lot of work. I think that's like the worst 3-point game I've ever had in my life. But not too worried about it. The rest of the guys, even the coaches on the sideline, they were just telling me to keep shooting the ball. Keep shooting the ball. Eventually, one's going to fall. Obviously, it didn't but that's alright." 

OU plays next Thursday, Friday and Sunday in the ESPN Events Invitational in Kissimmee, FL. The Sooners open Thanksgiving Day with a 4 p.m. tipoff against Nebraska.

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John E. Hoover
JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.