The Final Score 71-52 | Three Takeaways As Oklahoma Upsets West Virginia

Gaining confidence this past week, the Oklahoma Sooners knew a tough match-up awaited on Tuesday night. With the full court press presented by the West Virginia Mountaineers, preparation became the focus. Lon Kruger certainly had his squad ready to play a Devin Williams-less team (who still managed to outrebound OU) as they produced a 71-52 win. Here are three takeaways from the night.

Three Takeaways

Oklahoma Can Handle The Pressure

Sure, one could point to the six turnovers of Jordan Woodard and claim the opposite. In combo, Isaiah Cousins handled his role exceptionally well when asked to break the press. The junior guard was one of two starters who was not forced into a turnover all night long. As a group, the Sooners only turned the ball over 13 times, a far cry from the 22 in Morgantown. Off the turnovers, West Virginia scored a mere eight points putting the Mountaineers in an uncomfortable half court offense which ultimately led to a big win.

Free Throws Are Not Free

Simply put, this may have been the worst collective free throw performance I have ever seen in my life. Between the two programs, players made 33 trips to the charity stripe only connecting on 16 of those attempts. Usually a 70%+ shooting team from the free throw line on any given night, Oklahoma shot well below their average at 50% while the Mountaineers fared worse at 45.5%. Maybe the name should have been changed tonight to free bricks!

Win Big Or Lose

That's the name of the game this year for the Sooners in the Big XII, either they win big or lose the bout. In ten conference games, Oklahoma has won a single game decided by less than 8 points. That win came against Oklahoma State on the road while the rest have resulted in losses.