After a win earlier in the week over Northwestern State, where the Sooners started off sluggish but closed strong, Oklahoma returned to action against Stetson. For the second straight game, the Sooners were without wings Jadon Jones (back) and Brycen Goodine (ankle).

Stetson, fresh off an NCAA Tournament appearance last season, faced a roster overhaul via the transfer portal. Despite that, they’ve rebuilt around standout freshman guard Jamie Phillips, who leads the team with 14.3 points per game. Phillips is one of several big guards on the Hatters’ roster, complemented by a frontcourt of long and tall bigs and wings, presenting Oklahoma with a fresh and challenging matchup.

In the first half, Oklahoma impressed, taking a 44-28 lead into halftime. The Sooners pushed the pace and generated good looks through strong ball movement. However, it wasn’t entirely smooth sailing, as they opened the second half sluggishly. With Stetson narrowing the gap to just eight points, Oklahoma found themselves leaning too heavily on isolation plays.

Midway through the half, the Sooners regained control with a 12-0 run, extending their lead to 20 points with just over eight minutes remaining. From there, it was all Oklahoma, as they cruised to an 85-64 victory.

Let's dive into the report card from Oklahoma's third win of the season:

The Sooners tallied 85 points, shooting 34-69 (49.3%) from the field and 9-24 (37.5%) from beyond the arc.

Oklahoma’s offense clicked in the first half, largely due to Kobe Elvis, who scored 19 points on 8-9 shooting from the field, including 3-4 from three-point range. The Sooners pushed the pace and created strong offensive looks, with guards Duke Miles and Jeremiah Fears playing key roles in setting up opportunities for their teammates.

However, the start of the second half saw some struggles, with too much isolation play as players seemed intent on creating their own shots. Once the Sooners settled down and went on a scoring run, their offense improved considerably, capitalizing on turnovers and moving the ball effectively.

Jalon Moore delivered another impressive offensive performance, finishing with 21 points on 9-14 shooting from the field and 1-3 from behind the arc. Moore clearly benefited from Oklahoma’s increased tempo of play.

In total, Oklahoma scored 31 points off turnovers throughout the game—a clear area of success. Compared to their performance against Northwestern State, the offense showed marked improvement and better cohesion.

The matchup with Stetson provided a compelling test for Oklahoma’s guards, given the Hatters’ size and length—an attribute Oklahoma’s backcourt lacks outside of Jeremiah Fears.

In the first half, once the Sooners settled in, Stetson’s length didn’t seem to pose significant issues. Oklahoma defended well overall, despite a few rough patches, which are expected this early in the season. The Sooners frequently generated offense from their defensive efforts, a promising sign for their development.

Though Oklahoma’s starting five began with some defensive struggles, their second stint in the first half was markedly improved. They appeared more composed, which allowed them to spark a run and build their lead.

In the second half, Stetson heated up from beyond the arc, hitting 8-13 (61.5%) of their three-point attempts. The Hatters’ success largely stemmed from effective drive-and-kick plays. Once Oklahoma overcame their slow start to the half, they regained their defensive intensity, excelling particularly at forcing turnovers.

What a game from Elvis. He finished with 24 points, six assists, and three steals on 9-15 shooting from the field and 4-8 shooting from behind the arc. Nineteen of his 24 points occurred in the first half.

“He did a lot of good things," said Porter Moser. "And the more guys that can score, the more it puts a threat on our team. It was great to see him look completely comfortable on the offensive end and knocking down shots.

I loved his leadership; he took the ownership right away. He threw a full-court pass that really wasn’t there, then we were on a 2-1, and we dropped it off to Dayton, and he missed a dunk. Kobe was like, ‘That started with me.’ It was great ownership on Kobe’s part.”

With Jones and Goodine unavailable, the Sooners’ bench depth was tested. At the U16 timeout, Moser brought in Jeremiah Fears, Mohamed Wague, Dayton Forsythe, and Jacolb Fredson-Cole. Both Forsythe and Fredson-Cole logged extended minutes throughout the game.

Forsythe contributed 3 points and two assists on 1-5 shooting in 17 minutes of action. Fears added 11 points on 4-12 shooting during his 19 minutes on the floor. Fredson-Cole did not score but played 15 minutes, while Wague finished with 4 points in 10 minutes.

“I saw a lot of winning plays from Dayton," said Moser. "He made some really nice passes, confidently stepped into his shots, and had some scrappy defensive moments. I just saw a lot of winning plays from him. We’ve been emphasizing playing off two feet, and in the second half, he got into the paint, stayed under control, and dropped it off for a dunk. He made a lot of winning plays.”

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