The Oklahoma Sooners endured a barrage of three points from the Iowa State Cyclones only to storm back to a 46-46 half time score. From there, TaShawn Thomas turned on the after burners and raced out to a 22 point and 11 rebound performance while four others scored in double digits. In the end the effort proved to be enough to secure a 94-83 win over the No. 14 team in the land.
Three Takeaways
No Free Throws, No Problem
Usually a staple in conference play, free throws were no where to be found. Finally, with 6:16 left in regulation, Ryan Spangler stepped up to the charity stripe marking the first such occasion for a Sooner. Fortunately, a lack of free throw attempts had no bearing the outcome of the game as OU led 81-66 before the junior forward knocked down both tries. The Sooners shot a total six free throws compared to Iowa State's fourteen.
Oklahoma Is Peaking At The Right Time
The Sooners continue riding high with six games remaining in the regular season. Now riding a five game winning streak, Buddy Hield and the gang have secured wins over two ranked opponents along with two wins on the road. As they say, any conference road win is a good win! Even more so, the Sooners are valuing possessions and the ball more then they ever have cutting turnovers to under double digits against the Cyclones in a fast paced game. The effort allowed the offense to click and move efficiently producing the highest scoring output of the year.
There's Nothing Broken With The Offense
The only complaint to be found with the offense has been bench scoring. Kruger dipped ten deep before pulling away yet only Frank Booker scored (14 points) off the pine. Depth will likely come into play in the post season. For the time being, there's nothing broken with the Sooners offense. Putting up a total of 77 shots, the offense connected on 50.6% of those attempts. If the shooting continues, Oklahoma will be a difficult team to match up with as one of four players can carry the load.