Finding a way

It couldn’t happen again, could it? There was this feeling for Oklahoma basketball of here we go again heading down the stretch vs. visiting West Virginia.

A different outcome, thankfully. The Sooners did just enough in the final minutes on offense and defense to preserve a 77-76 victory against the Mountaineers on Saturday afternoon.

It was as must-win of a game as you can get for OU in mid-January, and one of its senior leaders absolutely understood the moment.

“We just came in and as a group and just gathered with each other and just said ‘we’re gonna win this game,’ so I think we just willed it,” Jalen Hill said. “That’s pretty much us.”

OU led 68-67 heading into the final media timeout. Then with the game tied 70-70, the Sooners let their free throw shooting carry the day.

Hill went 4-for-4. Tanner Groves went 2-for-2. Grant Sherfield 1-for-2, and enough that a last-second three-pointer by WVU didn’t affect the outcome.

“Just got to make it. That’s it right there,” Hill said. “Just make the shots, get us up and get a stop and do it again.”

It gets repetitive to mention the ridiculous grind of the Big 12 season, but it’s still true every game. Coaches know it. Players recognize it. You lose a tough one, and all you can do is get back on the court and get better and figure it out.

That’s what Sherfield has been able to do. After a rough start to Big 12 play, it was another solid outing with 22 points and five assists and four rebounds.

Head coach Porter Moser challenged the guards to rebound, and freshman Los Uzan responded with a nine-rebound outing to go with 11 points and five assists.

This was a game OU couldn’t let go, not just for the fear of falling to 1-4 in conference and 0-3 at Lloyd Noble Center. But you can’t lose games where you shoot just under 56 percent from the field and 45 percent from 3-point territory and make nine of them.

Timely stops, just enough of them.

“Man, you can't ask for anything more than doing it to get the confidence of pulling it out in the close ones,” Moser said. “Two out of three, we've done it. Texas Tech we ended up pulling it out. All five games. I was just talking to the West Virginia assistant. They could be 5-0. We could be 5-0. That's nuts. It's going to come down to such little things.”

Hill had 14 points and six rebounds.

Tip-ins

*Uzan continues to become such a vital part to this team. It’s not all good, with the four turnovers, but he brings a different dimension to the court.

And now he’s showing he can do it for all 40 minutes. Or in this game, 38 minutes. Uzan easily played the most of any Sooner vs. WVU.

“I know, I can’t believe that,” Moser said. “I gotta find a way to give him and Grant a rest. But he was able to go downhill so fast. When you’re up in him, he’s got that long first step and he can do some things. He had nine rebounds and five assists. I thought….he’s 5-of-7, 11 points on seven shots. Nine rebounds. Super efficient. Super efficient.”

*History was made in the first half as Moser picked up his first technical foul as OU’s head coach. WVU earned two in the second half, but you could tell how badly Moser knew his team needed this one.

“I don’t love getting technical,” Moser said. “It’s not who I am. It happened. Like my assistants told me, ‘Porter move on.’ And that’s what we had to do. It was good advice. But I don’t love it. But it happens.”

*Trying to spread minutes can be difficult, but Moser said Otega Oweh has worked too hard since Christmas to not earn more time.

The freshman played seven minutes and scored two points and was a part of OU’s late-game defensive five after WVU went small.

“I think ‘Tega’s been really good since Christmas in practice,” Moser said. “It’s just hard to start playing 9-10 guys. And we’ve tried to keep them up. My assistants have done — ‘keep pushing. Keep pushing. You never know when your name’s been called.’

“And I’m telling you he’s been practicing really well. And it’s a credit to him to stay mentally ready because I thought his seven minutes were a good seven minutes.”

*Up next: Ha, no time to take a breath. Bedlam in Stillwater. OU (11-6, 2-3) is at Oklahoma State 8 p.m. Wednesday for the first of two matchups against the Cowboys.