If there’s one thing Oklahoma head coach Porter Moser has tried to instill into his team is that you have to keep fighting.

You’re going to get punched in the Big 12, but you have to hit back. OU hit back in a big way vs. No. 9 Texas Tech in a 70-55 victory at Lloyd Noble Center on Wednesday evening.

Hit back might be the wrong term, more like the Sooners shot their way back. And leading that charge was a sensational performance by guard Mo Gibson.

Coming off one of the worst games of his career, he might have had his best. When you think about where he was after Bedlam and where the team was in losing seven of eight entering Wednesday, could not have come at a better time.

Gibson finished with 30 points, going a blistering 8-for-11 from 3-point territory, adding five rebounds and a steal in 37 minutes.

“He came back from Oklahoma State and did what he always does. He got in the gym, got reps up, didn’t panic, went to work,” Moser said. “He works on that shot-fake, sidestep 3 all the time, makes that in practice, works on it. I thought we were moving the ball really well… I thought we defended and rebounded for 40 minutes. I thought that’s been a key. I thought Mo’s performance on both ends, he was a two-way player tonight.”

Moser had to get a little creative. With Bijan Cortes out with a concussion and Jordan Goldwire with two fouls with less than eight minutes left in the first half and picking up his third in the early minutes of the second half, Gibson handled the ball a lot.

It was going to take that type of effort to earn another massive win for OU’s NCAA tournament resume, guys doing things they don’t normally do.

“I was so happy. We played Tanner and Ethan together, we played Mo at point,” Moser said. “We had Jalen bring it up sometimes. We were just finding ways sometimes. Gotta bring Alston and C.J. continuing along. You’re playing a really old, veteran team, excellent team, it’s tough for young guys. Gonna keep grooming them, keep getting them — cause we’re gonna keep playing minutes with those two.”

OU trailed 30-25 at halftime, but the energy and effort were never the problem. Once Gibson hit a few more 3s, the team settled in and was ready to make its own statement.

The Sooners took a 36-35 lead after a Gibson 3-pointer with 16 minutes left and never gave back the advantage the rest of the way.

“Anytime you can go for 30 points in college, in Big 12, that says a lot,” Gibson said. “I'm just extremely blessed. Like I said man, shoutout to my teammates for finding me on open passes. We knew the scouting report coming in, they were gonna flood the lane. And the last game, I had a terrible showing. Today I just came out and I capitalized on everything that I was supposed to.”

Notes and observations

* Saddled with foul trouble throughout most of the game, but it was a pretty solid outing by Jordan Goldwire.

From the 10 points to the four rebounds and four assists to the way he was under control whenever he was out there. It was his night to be the floor general that OU needed so badly with Cortes out.

“We went into the locker room down by five, so I just tried to go into the locker room and keep everybody's spirits up and let them know that we're still in the game,” Goldwire said. “We threw punches. We're only down five points, so we're in the game. This is a winnable game. I thought we came out and fought, and we just did all the little things in order to get the win.”

* Nobody epitomizes the OU fight more than Elijah Harkless. He was his typical self in scoring 13 points with three rebounds and two steals.

He set the tone late in the first half with his defensive pressure that OU wasn’t going to lay down in this one.

After not starting a couple of games two weeks ago, he has responded in a huge positive way. Nothing more Moser can ask.

“He’s come back and that's what you want,” Moser said. “That's what coaches hope for. That's a great lesson. Keep fighting. Don't go the other direction and pout. He hasn't. He's come to work with his hard hat every day. He's fought through it.

“Trying to be simple with him. He's really stepping into his shot. He's competitive as hell. He's one of the most competitive guys that we coach. I think he's really channeled in the right direction. I think he's confident.”

* Cortes was out with the concussion and doesn’t appear like there’s a chance he’ll return for OU on Saturday at Kansas.

“I doubt it because he is in that five-day concussion protocol. It’s a concussion,” Moser said. “Today, he didn’t have headaches, so that’s good. You can start to get out of your protocol. As of right now, we don’t think there is any chance because I don’t think the five days will be up.”

*OU (14-10 overall, 4-7 in the Big 12) with another massive conference showdown coming up, at No. 8 Kansas on Saturday. The Sooners haven’t won in Lawrence since 1993.