Bedlam Beatdown
Well, here we go again. It’s one step forward with Oklahoma basketball, but then another step in the wrong direction.
All hope of the Sooners building some confidence, banking some wins went out the window with a puzzling letdown performance against Oklahoma State in round two of Bedlam.
OU could never get the standing-room-only Lloyd Noble Center crowd into it, and the Cowboys completed the sweep with a 71-61 victory against the Sooners.
OU was coming off its best performance of the season in the 93-69 win vs. then-No. 2 Alabama, and admission for Bedlam was free because of the winter weather that had hit the area. It was an electric environment that OSU just repeatedly quieted time and time again.
Quieted it enough that OU fans were leaving in droves with eight minutes left in the game and chants of “Orange Power” could easily be heard throughout the arena.
“You come out and you look around and that’s the first time I’ve seen a full house like this,” head coach Porter Moser said. “It was even more crowded than Alabama, so heck yeah. Just want to say thank you to them. We’re gonna keep fighting. We’re gonna build this thing. But I’m telling you they were great. They were great and they came out in droves and I gotta tip my hat to Oklahoma State.
“Their team really played well tonight. They played well, they were clicking on both ends and they had some really good performances. They did a nice job on all facets. So yeah. Very disappointed for that fanbase and they were great tonight, our fans.”
OU simply had no answer for OSU’s bigs, Moussa Cisse and Kalib Boone. Right from the jump, OSU attacked its advantage in the post. Cisse and Boone combined for 36 points on a ridiculous 16-for-20 shooting. They were only credited with two blocked shots, but they altered numerous others in limiting OU’s offense all night.
OSU led 42-28 at halftime, and the Sooners never got within 10 points the rest of the way, with OSU holding a 22-point lead at 62-40 with eight minutes to go.
For the second time in a row, Avery Anderson was able to limit Grant Sherfield, who had to take 12 shots for his 14 points.
This was supposed to be the game that showed OU could handle success and start putting itself on the right side of the bubble.
Instead, it has now been swept by fellow bubble contender in OSU, and the Sooners (12-10 overall, 2-7 in the Big 12) head to West Virginia on Saturday night.
“That really just sucks because we had 12,000 here,” said Jalen Hill, who didn’t have a field goal and only five points. “It's probably the biggest crowd that we've had in a while. I've never seen it. For them to come in and beat us the way that they did, it just sucks because we didn't protect our court.”