Porter Moser and the Sooners needed this one, and they got it.

Oklahoma came out strong in the first half, at one point making nine straight shots from the field to take a 37-25 lead. That stretch summed up their first half: efficient, high-level shot-making.

The Sooners shot an impressive 20-29 (69%) from the field and 4-7 (57.1%) from deep before halftime. Jeremiah Fears led the charge with 13 points on a perfect 5-5 from the field, while Sam Godwin added 12 points on 5-5 shooting before leaving with an injury.

At the break, Oklahoma led 50-37, just eight points shy of their total from their previous matchup with Missouri. The Sooners stayed hot early in the second half, but then Caleb Grill and the Tigers made their push.

Led by Grill and Mark Mitchell, Missouri trimmed the deficit to just nine with 3:46 to play. That may seem like a comfortable lead, but against one of the country’s most efficient offenses and with Oklahoma’s struggles closing games, this was far from over.

This time the Sooners finished the job.

Fears led the way with a career-high 31 points. Mitchell finished with 18 for Missouri and Grill added 16. Oklahoma locked in down the stretch and secured a massive top-15, Quad 1 win, improving to 18-12 (5-12) with the 96-84 victory.

Here’s the report card from Oklahoma’s much-needed win.

It was senior night in Norman, and the Sooners honored eight players: Sam Godwin, Jalon Moore, Brycen Goodine, Duke Miles, Glenn Taylor Jr., Kobe Elvis, Yaya Keita, and Jake Moser.

Godwin wasted no time making his presence felt, scoring 10 of Oklahoma’s first 14 points. He had 12 points on a perfect 5-5 from the field before suffering a knee injury that sent him straight to the locker room and kept him out for the rest of the game.

With Godwin out, Mohamed Wague stepped up in a big way. He finished with 12 points and five rebounds on 4-4 shooting in just 18 minutes. The Sooners also had to lean on Moore at the five, and he delivered 11 points and seven rebounds on 4-10 from the field.

Godwin’s injury was the one major negative on an otherwise strong night. He spent the second half in street clothes with a knee brace, but Wague, Moore, and even Luke Northweather, who hit a key three-pointer, did enough to help the Sooners secure a crucial win.

A true freshman point guard facing a top-10 defense in forcing steals might seem like a recipe for disaster. But for Jeremiah Fears, it was anything but.

Not only did he drop a career-high 31 points, but he also added five assists, four rebounds, and committed just one turnover in 34 minutes.

He was efficient across the board, shooting 9-13 from the field, 1-2 from deep, and a perfect 12-12 from the free-throw line. This game showcased both firepower and efficiency, with Fears excelling as both a scorer and a floor general.

He’s been at his best over the past five games, averaging 22.2 points, six assists, and 5.4 rebounds on 47.2% shooting. Four of those performances have come against top-25 opponents.

Heading into the game, Oklahoma needed to accomplish three key things: 1) take care of the basketball (Missouri ranks seventh in the country in forcing steals), 2) defend the three-point line (the Tigers can overwhelm teams with their elite shooting), and 3) capitalize on their own three-point opportunities (Missouri struggles to defend the perimeter, making it a key area to exploit).

The Sooners checked all three boxes. They turned the ball over just nine times, shot 7-17 (41.2%) from deep, and held Missouri to 9-31 (29%) from beyond the arc.

Oklahoma held just a nine-point lead with 3:46 to play, a situation that has troubled them in the past. But this time, they closed it out. Whether it was clutch buckets from Jeremiah Fears or a crucial three from Brycen Goodine, the Sooners finally secured a much-needed win.

Now, it sets up a battle of two bubble teams—Oklahoma and Texas. The two will face off in Austin on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. on SEC Network. A win would give the Sooners their second true road victory of the season and put them in a strong position to make the NCAA Tournament.

Both teams desperately need this one. But for Oklahoma to even have this opportunity, they had to beat Missouri. And they did.

Not an OUInsider.com premium member? Sign up today to get loads of inside information on Oklahoma football, softball, basketball, and recruiting, all for just a few dollars a month. Click HERE to get started!

Follow us on Twitter @OUInsider and on Instagram @ouinsiderofficial!

Subscribe on YouTube by clicking here for daily video content on all things Oklahoma!