STILLWATER — Trailing 82-81 with 12.5 seconds to go in overtime, the trajectory of Oklahoma's season rested on somebody making a shot.

It didn't look like it was coming.

The ball was inbounded to Javian McCollum, but the Sooners' offense broke down. It became clear that it was going to be McCollum who decided the game.

The junior guard dribbled to the left corner and created a small amount of separation, hoisting the 3-pointer with a hand in his face.

McCollum drilled it as time expired, giving the Sooners an 84-82 win in Stillwater on Saturday that sweeps the season series with Oklahoma State.

"We didn’t know if they were going to be in a zone," OU coach Porter Moser said. "They came out in man, and we were — earlier in the overtime, we ran an action where we just cleared the left slot and had Javian go down the slot. So, we ran the same action. He’s an elite free-throw shooter. He’s our best shot-maker. I thought they guarded it well. They leveled him off. That’s hard to do with Javian, because he’s so quick. Then Javian made a great shot.

"In practices, all year, he has that ability to make tough shots. That was a very tough shot. It was a great play by Javian to cap an amazing game.”

Prior to that shot, it had been tough sledding for McCollum. He scored just nine points while making three of his 14 shot attempts in regulation and just one of his eight 3-point attempts.

But he delivered in overtime. McCollum finished the extra period with five points on 2/2 shooting to go with two rebounds and two assists, serving as an important catalyst.

But the final shot sealed the deal and potentially saved the Sooners' chances at making the NCAA Tournament.

“The feeling was great just knowing that my teammates and my coaches trust me in that moment," McCollum said. "We had a couple of big plays before that. (Rivaldo Soares) hit a big three. Otega (Oweh had an) and-one. (Milos Uzan) came down and hit an and-one. It was just a whole bunch adding up to it. I just hit the shot.

"I think this is the (biggest shot of my career) because just to be with a great group of guys like these --- these are my brothers --- and just get a win like that, especially for the state of Oklahoma, I mean, it's huge."

Here's a look at takeaways from the Sooners significant win in Stillwater:

The fifth-year senior missed last weekend's game against Kansas with an ankle injury and was deemed "day to day" heading into Bedlam.

But fortunately for the Sooners, it became pretty clear during warmups that Soares wasn't going to miss the game.

Soares was absolutely crucial for the Sooners, pouring in a team-high 20 points (7/9 shooting, 3/3 from 3) and three rebounds. He also led the team in plus-minus with a seven.

Despite not being fully healthy — he left the game briefly in the first half after appearing to reinjure his ankle — he played 29 minutes and didn't come off the floor in overtime.

“He’s been playing at such a high level," Moser said. "We knew when he went out, we were going to miss him, because for seven straight games he was our best player. So two days ago he got about 25 percent of the reps. Yesterday he got about 50 percent of the reps. He was just like, ‘I want to play. I want to go on it.’ What a warrior. What a game he had. Just a huge part of the win, and we missed that. Just his presence—20 points—he’s got a will to win right now, and it was great that he was able to come back to play.”

Soares, who exhausts his eligibility after this season, had no intentions on sitting out.

“Just guiding with my trainers, strength coach," Soares said of the week. "Just doing a whole lot of treatment. Some days I did one treatment session and then I had meals. I think (last week) was the first collegiate game I missed in my career. I didn’t want to miss it. I definitely didn’t want to miss another one. So just grinded to get back."

When the two teams met earlier this month, the Sooners won 66-62 in a defensive battle. But Saturday's game was completely different.

The Cowboys had no problems generating offense. They shot 57.4% (35 of 61) for the game and 68.2% (15 of 22) in the second half. They made their first four shots in overtime.

The Cowboys got contributions all over, particularly from Quion Williams (21 points), Javon Small (21 points) and Eric Dailey Jr. (20 points). Before McCollum's game-winning shot, John-Michael Wright hit a huge 3-pointer in the corner to give the Cowboys a one-point lead.

The Sooners actually trailed by eight at halftime despite shooting just 36% from the field. But they made enough shots after the break, making 23 of 36 shots combined in the second half and overtime (64%).

"I thought both teams were very physical, so you had to make some plays," Moser said. "If you would’ve told me we would’ve given up 82 and won, I probably would’ve said no way because of how physical — Mike would probably say the same thing. It just kept on going back and forth with some elite plays. I thought both teams really showed resilience. That’s the thing, because I think Oklahoma State is playing really well. They guard so tough and you felt it out there. Our guys felt it, too.”

— The Sooners have had to rely on redshirt freshman Luke Northweather in John Hugley’s absence. After struggling in the losses against Kansas and Baylor last week, Moser said there was an emphasis to “pour confidence” into Northweather.

It seemed to pay off.

Northweather finished with five points and four rebounds in 13 minutes. His biggest moment came late in the second half, when he nailed an open corner 3 to cut the deficit to one.

“I think his first basket was an offensive rebound," Moser said. "You know I always say don’t put all your eggs in the shooting basket. And Luke got an offensive rebound. He didn’t take on dribble and pick it up. He was doing good. And then tight game, he hit a big 3 in the corner. So it was good. We need all hands on deck. This time of year, against the Big 12, you need all hands on deck, especially with John out.”

— The Sooners held a 16-11 advantage on the offensive glass, which yielded a 21-11 advantage in second-chance points.

— Soares played so well that Moser actually started him in the second half in place of Oweh. That seemed to spark Oweh, who finished with 16 points on eight of 10 shooting after scoring just two points in the first half.

"Otega was great. It helped Tega," Moser said. "I’m telling you — that was the first time I did that all year, and Tega could not have been better. Look what he did... That was Otega of the past. So, I don’t know if that relieved some pressure on him or what, but watching him in the second half reminded me of earlier-in-the-year Otega.”

— With the win, the Sooners are now 19-8 and 7-7 in the Big 12 with four regular season games to go. In 2021-22, the Sooners finished the regular season with an 18-15 record and landed just outside the NCAA Tournament bubble.

The Sooners' win over the Cowboys goes a long way towards securing the Sooners a spot in the Big Dance.

"I thought Oklahoma State played unbelievable," Moser said. "So many big shots by both teams. I though the atmosphere was elite, and I give credit to Oklahoma State and their fans to make that a great rivalry. I said that two days ago in our press conference: I see a world where this isn’t our last Bedlam game. That’s what I see the world ahead.

"Our guys came in here (and were) determined. They felt like they had to win this game. I really felt like the guys did. Not in terms of any other thing other than themselves. They lost two in a row, but they keep bouncing back. We lost two tough ones, and they bounced back. I can’t say it enough. When Wright hit that shot in the corner, it’s as loud as I’ve seen a game. That was an unbelievable shot that he hit. Great atmosphere.”