Sooners forge past TCU behind Reaves' 32 points

Oklahoma Sooners defeat TCU Horned Frogs 82-78 on the strength of a standout performance from senior guard Austin Reaves

Call him Austin Reaves, Slayer of Frogs.

Nearly nine months after pouring in a career-high 41 points against TCU in the final game of his junior season, the Sooners' senior guard went off again Sunday afternoon, leading Oklahoma to an 82-78 road victory in their first conference game of the 2020-21 season.

Reaves was in total control at Schollmaier Arena, finishing the game with 32 points on just 16 shots. The Arkansas native converted 16 of 18 free throw attempts, added nine assists, and eventually provided a dramatic coda to the Sooners' hard-fought win. With Oklahoma clinging to a 76-74 advantage in the final minute, Reaves pulled up from the midcourt logo and buried a 3-pointer to effectively ice the game.

Brady Manek chipped in 14 points and six rebounds for Oklahoma, while De'Vion Harmon added 13 on 6-of-9 shooting. No other Sooner cracked double digits, though Kur Kuath logged eight points, six rebounds and a team-high +19 plus-minus. Meanwhile, freshman Mike Miles led TCU with 21 points, and C.J. Nembhard racked up 18 in the defeat.

Today's matchup marked the Sooners' second game in less than 72 hours, as they opened their season with a 105-66 win over UTSA on Thursday night. Manek led the way in that contest, notching 29 points and a career-high eight 3-pointers. However, the relatively quick turnaround didn't faze Oklahoma, as they matched every run by the TCU offense with one of their own. The Frogs built a 40-31 lead with three minutes to play in the first half, but the Sooners closed the gap to 42-39 heading into halftime. Oklahoma took a lead it wouldn't relinquish when Reaves nailed a triple with 6:25 remaining, putting the Sooners ahead 67-65.

Lon Kruger's team won't have long to enjoy the victory, as they're back on the road Wednesday. The Sooners will travel to Ohio for a 7 p.m. matchup with the Xavier Musketeers.

To get the latest OU posts as they happen, join the SI Sooners Community by clicking “Follow” at the top right corner of the page (mobile users can click the notifications bell icon), and follow SI Sooners on Twitter @All_Sooners.