There are a lot of things Oklahoma head coach Porter Moser loves to say, but one of the big items lately has been about controlling what you can control.
Where the Sooners fit in for the NCAA tournament and the bubble is irrelevant right now, just control what you can.
OU did just that and was able to breathe for the first time in nearly two months in a 72-59 victory against visiting West Virginia on Tuesday on senior night.
The Sooners have now won back-to-back games for the first time in 2022. With a win Saturday at Kansas State, OU would avoid playing in the opening night of the Big 12 tournament.
“We needed it. We needed to control what we can control. We didn’t play well at Texas Tech. We came back and said one at a time. We had to play well against Oklahoma State, and we did. Put that in the bank and had to play well here. Now, get a little momentum and anything can happen. I keep saying that. We needed these two. It felt good to get a little separation and confidence.”
It was seniors Tanner Groves and Jordan Goldwire who closed the show in style. Groves is coming back to OU for next season, but it was indeed the final home game for Goldwire, the transfer from Duke.
OU was in control all game but the lead was still just 58-52 with 3:58 left in the second half. From that point on, Groves and Goldwire scored 13 of the last 14 points and the final 13.
“We just knew what we needed to do. By any means, do whatever you can do to get the win,” Groves said. “We were able to grit it out there. I think it was eight points or so, seven points maybe. We were able to get a couple of stops, Jordan (Goldwire) got downhill a couple of times, I hit a couple of threes and we just got it going. The momentum carried us from there, and it was all good. I'm happy we were able to send the seniors out with the last home win.”
Groves had his second straight double-double, going for 17 points and 10 rebounds. Goldwire finished an all-around effort with 16 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals.
You couldn’t even begin to talk about OU’s tournament standing without the Sooners earning these two wins. They weren’t always pretty, but the confidence is growing.
The second half offensive performance vs. WVU was among the best OU has played in a long time, scoring 44 points, shooting just under 63 percent from the field.
There’s still work left to do, obviously, but OU is in position to at least make the attempt at one last run.
“These last two games, we're playing some of our best basketball,” Goldwire said. “I think the team is locked in. Everybody is playing hard. We're competing. I think it's huge to get these last two wins under our belt. Heading into Kansas State, we have that momentum.”
Notes and observations
*That’s really all it can take sometimes. OU doesn’t need 20-25 points from its bench, but when freshmen Bijan Cortes and a returning C.J. Noland play like they did, it’s a massive boost.
Cortes had four points and three assists. Noland, in his first game back after a knee injury, had five points, two assists and a steal.
“I thought the two freshmen played really solid,” Moser said. “Their minutes were good, it wasn’t like it was negative 10 when they were in there. C.J. Noland came in and gave us a big lift. Bijan gave us a big lift. They had positive impacts on the game, huge for our team.”
*OU found other ways to score, especially Mo Gibson. This wasn’t the night where Gibson was lights out from 3-point territory. He scored eight points and didn’t convert on one. Jalen Hill added 10 points, and the key was cutting to the basket.
The Sooners frequently either scored or got fouled and sent to the free throw line making strong cuts to the hoop.
*OU honored seniors Gibson, Goldwire, Marvin Johnson and Ethan Chargois before the game. Goldwire, Johnson and Chargois are super seniors and not able to return. Gibson can return, but it’s unknown at this time if he will.
Tanner Groves and Elijah Harkless are also seniors, although early reports say both will return. Groves is definitely coming back for next season.
