NORMAN — With Oklahoma facing a huge second-half deficit against Texas earlier this month, Jalon Moore wasn't content to just sit back.
Moore, who typically plays within the flow of the game, asserted himself into the offense. The senior forward scored 26 points in the second half and nearly led the Sooners to a huge comeback. His previous career high in a game was 23 points, and he surpassed that in a single half against the Longhorns while shooting a perfect 8-of-8 from the floor, 3-for-3 from the 3-point line and 7-of-7 from the free throw line.
The Sooners narrowly lost that game to Texas, 77-73, but things appeared to really click in that second half for Moore.
"I think my mindset every game is to go in and be aggressive," Moore said. "Try to help the team any way I can. That’s getting to the free throw line, knocking down shots, getting rebounds, being aggressive in every aspect of the game. I think that really helps the team and gets us going."
That second half was indicative of how much Moore has grown as a scorer. And even as the Sooners have limped a little to start conference play, they're getting a fantastic season from Moore.
Since conference play began, the Alabama native is third in the SEC in scoring with 19.8 points per game while ranking second in field-goal percentage (59.6%), 12th in free throw shooting (81.5%) and 13th in rebounding (7.2 per game). He's also shooting 60% from the 3-point line, making 9-of-15 attempts.
That Texas game was particularly notable for his free throw attempts. He attempted nine against the Longhorns after shooting just seven in the Sooners' first three conference games. In the following game against South Carolina, Moore scored 22 points while attempting 11 free throws as he continued to aggressively attack the rim. It was a big reason why the Sooners came out with an 82-63 win, marking their first SEC win.
The Sooners have needed that scoring from Moore. Jeremiah Fears is the only other Sooner who is averaging double-digit scoring (13.4 points), and Moore has given OU efficient and versatile option as the leading scorer.
"I think it’s just finding and seeing the options open up," Moore said. "Just letting the game come to me and not forcing but being aggressive also in that aspect. That’s kind of my mindset when I go into games and how I approach it."
The Sooners are going to need Moore to continue being aggressive. While they snagged a much-needed win against South Carolina, the Sooners sit with a 14-4 overall record and 1-4 record in SEC play. OU is firmly on the bubble of the NCAA Tournament picture — the Sooners are projected as 10-seed with one of the last four byes, according to the latest projections from ESPN's Joe Lunardi, which doesn't give the team much room for error.
If the Sooners hope to reach the Tournament for the first time since 2021, they're going to have to stay afloat as the conference schedule toughens up. The biggest part of that recipe will be Moore continuing to stay aggressive.
"He's being aggressive, but he's changing speeds being aggressive," OU coach Porter Moser said. "He's making better decisions. There was a great play (against South Carolina) that we talked to him about. We really glorified it with the team. He took the ball down the paint, three guys converged, he dropped it off to Sam (Godwin). Sam then kicked it out to Duke (Miles). Duke then drove, threw it back to Jalon, Jalon went downhill, got to the rim and got fouled. Just understanding that if he would've taken that first one, there would've been three guys about seven feet from the basket.
"He's making better decisions. When he gets to the rim, he can get to the rim. When he's not, he's got to change it, change it, it'll come back. He's super confident stepping in for a shot. He can put it on the deck. He's just playing about the right things, and I think he's playing that way."
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