Oklahoma Survives Oklahoma State in Bedlam Overtime Thriller

Up double digits down the stretch, the Sooners had to sweat out a win against the Cowboys to keep their NCAA Tournament dreams alive.

NORMAN — The Sooners aren’t dead yet.

Entering the final three games of the regular season, Oklahoma likely needs to win three straight contests to feel good about its NCAA Tournament chances.

OU took a crucial first step on Saturday, staving off a late run by the Oklahoma State Cowboys to win 66-62 in overtime inside the Lloyd Noble Center.

The win snapped a four-game Bedlam losing streak for Oklahoma, and moved the Sooners to 15-14 on the season and 5-11 in Big 12 play. OSU dropped to 13-15 and 6-10.

“We needed this,” OU head coach Porter Moser said in a Zoom press conference after the game. “… They showed a lot of fight and a lot of heart today.”

With four minutes left in regulation, OU appeared to be in complete control.

Up 11 points, the Sooners just needed to take care of the basketball and string together a few buckets to finish off their in-state rivals and take another step toward the postseason.

Instead, OU stacked bad possession on bad possession and opened the door for a late Cowboy rally.

Isaac Likekele found OSU center Moussa Cisse rolling to the basket to flush an authoritative dunk, completing a 13-6 run to tie the game with 7.9 seconds remaining in the game.

On the ensuing possession, Oklahoma guard Jordan Goldwire was able to create some space for himself, but his mid-range jumper rattled around the rim and Tanner Groves' putback attempt rimmed out before falling to the floor, sending the game to overtime.

“Obviously the last three minutes, a lot of things happened,” Moser said. “We took an ill-advised shot in transition. We missed two front ends of one-and-one. We had a really bad turnover dropping the ball on an out of bounds play.

“We came off a corner shooter on Rondell Walker's 3. We just had a series of things and we weren't great offensively. I thought we regrouped to start overtime.”

Buoyed by the lifeline, the Cowboys in overtime took a lead for the first time since the opening moments of the first half.

That set the stage for a back-and-forth extra period in which there were four lead changes.

Tanner Groves put Oklahoma up 64-62 with a pair of free throws, but just like in regulation, the Cowboys would have one last chance to decide the game.

This time, there would be no Cisse to come to the Cowboys’ rescue, as the big man had fouled out on the previous possession.

Marvin Johnson ensured there would be little drama to close overtime.

The Sooner transfer forced a steal off the inbounds play, taking the ball coast-to-coast himself to hit the game-sealing layup for a 66-62 lead.

The senior from Ardmore sealed it.@_MarvinJohnson | #Bedlam#BoomerSooner pic.twitter.com/JAAfFDlr8T

— Oklahoma Basketball (@OU_MBBall) February 26, 2022

“I saw him trying to seal me off,” Johnson said after the game. “When he was sealing me, I let go and released. When I released, he fell a little bit and I saw the pass and jumped on top of the ball and took off.

“I saw him trying to seal me off. When he was sealing me, I let go and released. When I released, he fell a little bit and I saw the pass and jumped on top of the ball and took off.

“Honestly and truly, I really wanted to dunk it so bad but my ankle was hurt. When I landed and kinda came down the wrong way, I was kinda skipping. I knew we had the four-point lead. I could see everybody going crazy. It was definitely a great feeling.”

Johnson finished with 10 points, but his four in overtime proved to be the difference in the Ardmore, OK, native’s first and only Bedlam contest.

“It actually means everything to me,” Johnson said. “Growing up in Oklahoma, always grew up watching the Bedlam game. And being an Oklahoma kid, you either wanted to go to OU or OSU. Playing in that game and being able to help my team out is big. I’m gonna be able to talk about that forever.”

Besides Johnson, four other Sooners scored in double figures.

Tanner Groves paced OU with 14 points, Goldwire and Umoja Gibson both added 13 points to the cause, and Jacob Groves scored 10 points.

Tanner Groves :: Alonzo Adams / USA TODAY Sports

“We had different moments from a lot of different guys,” Moser said. “… We needed that. So hopefully we can build on it.”

Oklahoma State’s hot finish to the game wiped away what was a pretty good defensive performance for the Sooners over the first 30 minutes.

OU held the Cowboys to 38 percent shooting from the floor, including an impressive first-half display where Oklahoma State only scored 19 points.

The win snapped a four-game skid for Oklahoma, and launches the Sooners into what should be a dramatic close to the season next week.

Save for an unexpected run in Kansas City at the Big 12 Tournament, OU likely needs to beat West Virginia in Norman, then prevail in a trip to Manhattan against the Kansas State Wildcats to punch its ticket to the Big Dance in a couple of weeks.

Up first, the Sooners will have their chance to sweep the Mountaineers, as OU hosts West Virginia on Tuesday night at Lloyd Noble.

Tip-off between the Sooners and the Mountaineers is scheduled for 6 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.

“We needed this to put a win in the bank,” said Moser, “and we've got two other opportunities and then the Big 12 Tournament to have some more opportunities. So can't count us out.

“Can't count us out.”

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