After a 90-63 win over Lindenwood, the Sooners aimed to improve to 2-0 as they played the second of four buy games ahead of their trip to the Bahamas. This week, they faced Northwestern State, who, despite ultimately losing, put up a strong fight against Texas Tech last week. The Demons run a zone defense, and Oklahoma was without their two best zone-breakers: Brycen Goodine (ankle) and Jadon Jones (back).

It was an ugly first half, so much so that the Sooners trailed Northwestern State 33-28 at the break. Why? The Demons did an excellent job disrupting Oklahoma’s pick-and-roll offense, and the Sooners simply weren’t playing good basketball.

Jalon Moore had a quiet first half, but fortunately for OU, he erupted in the second half and finished with 23 points. His impressive performance was a major reason Oklahoma outscored Northwestern State 45-23 in the final 20 minutes.

It may have been rough early, but a win is a win, and the Sooners came out with a 16-point victory. Now, let’s dive into the report card.

The Sooners scored just 28 points in the first half, shooting a dismal 10-30 (33%) from the field and 3-14 (21%) from beyond the arc. The Demons’ zone defense had OU scrambling for answers. If not for Duke Miles getting hot late in the half, the situation would have been even worse.

Things improved in the second half, with the Sooners shooting 15-28 (54%) from the field and 3-7 (43%) from three. The offense clearly benefited from adjustments made by Porter Moser and his staff, as ball movement picked up and stagnation was minimized.

Much of Oklahoma’s second-half success came through Moore, who scored 19 of his 23 points during that stretch. Jeremiah Fears added nine points on 4-7 shooting in the half. Starting late in the first half, when Miles found his rhythm, Oklahoma’s offense showed signs of life.

However, while the offense was effective for 24 of the game’s 40 minutes, the remaining 16 were concerningly bad. Against a Power Five opponent, such slow starts and prolonged scoring droughts are likely to be costly. Avoiding such lapses, especially going the first five minutes without a field goal, is crucial.

As Porter Moser walked to the locker room at halftime, his frustration was evident. And for good reason — Oklahoma surrendered 34 first-half points to the Demons. While the Sooners had 15 points off turnovers compared to Northwestern State’s four and a 9-2 advantage in second-chance points, their defense was leaky. The Demons shot a strong 14-24 (58.3%) from the field in the half, highlighting Oklahoma’s struggles to get stops.

Even when Miles heated up late in the first half, the Sooners’ defensive issues meant they still trailed by six at halftime.

In the second half, Oklahoma’s defensive effort improved markedly. Northwestern State shot a much lower 9-26 (34.6%), and the Sooners recorded seven steals. This ability to generate stops helped spark the offense — a stark contrast to the first half, where a lack of stops limited transition opportunities.

If you’ve been following along, it’s clear that Oklahoma’s performance was a tale of two halves. That trend continued with their three-point shooting. The Sooners were an abysmal 6-21 (28.6%) from deep in the first half, with many forced and ill-advised attempts — an unfortunate byproduct of facing a zone defense.

The second half saw improvement, led by Moore going 2-3 from beyond the arc. More importantly, Oklahoma’s three-point attempts were more in rhythm and less forced. While missing their top two three-point shooters was a factor, the first-half struggles were still glaring.

After a 22-point outing last week, Moore followed it up with another strong performance, scoring 23 points to tie his career high. He added seven rebounds, two assists, and one steal, shooting 7-14 from the field, 2-5 from three, and 7-8 from the line.

Like the rest of the team, Moore’s game was a tale of two halves, with 19 of his 23 points coming after halftime. His ability to flip the switch when the team needed it most was vital.

One of the key questions this offseason was whether Moore could take the next step and become a leader for this team. Through two games, the results are encouraging. His response in clutch moments is a great sign for Oklahoma’s season ahead.

Jeremiah Fears had another impressive showing, finishing with 15 points, four rebounds, two assists, and four steals on 6-11 shooting from the field. While he went 0-2 from behind the arc, he connected on 3-4 free throws. Yes, he did have six turnovers, but it’s worth noting that he just turned 18 a few weeks ago. Mistakes like that are bound to happen, especially when he’s being leaned on heavily by the coaching staff.

Still, Fears showcased his immense playmaking abilities and continues to be Oklahoma’s best spark plug off the bench. The Sooners didn’t make a field goal until he entered the game — and it was none other than Fears who broke that dry spell. When the offense gets stagnant, it’s clear that allowing him to create is a necessity.

After Fears, bench contributions were a bit murkier. Mohamed Wague didn’t have much of note, and Luke Northweather, despite an early entrance, had one nice pass but did not score. Dayton Forsythe got some minutes in the first half, though he could stand to be more aggressive — understandably so, as it’s just his second collegiate game. Jacolb Fredson-Cole also saw the floor, and while he didn’t score, he played mistake-free basketball and looked steady overall.

Note: Thumbnail photo is courtesy of Johnny Smiley/University of Oklahoma

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