No. 25 Oklahoma tops Arkansas-Pine Bluff 107-86 at 95-year-old McCasland Field House
AP
Nov 30, 2023
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) Otega Oweh scored 20 points to lead No. 25 Oklahoma Sooners to a 107-86 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions at 95-year-old McCasland Field House on Thursday night.
Owen was one of five Sooners to score in double figures. Jalen Moore had 19 points and eight rebounds. Javian McCollum and John Hugley IV both scored 15. Le’Tre Darthard added 14 points.
The Sooners (7-0) returned to the AP Top 25 this week for the first time since the 2020-21 season and for the first time under third-year coach Porter Moser. They proved early that remaining undefeated would not be a problem.
Moore connected on a 3-pointer with 11:56 left in the first half, putting Oklahoma up by 12. UAPB (4-5) didn’t get any closer the rest of the way.
The Sooners hosted a game at McCasland Field House for the first time since the 2012-13 season. The venue, adjacent to Memorial Stadium, was the team’s home from 1928-75. Oklahoma students comprised the overwhelming majority of fans in the 3,059-seat building.
The unusual environment created a deafening roar and an atmosphere that typically doesn’t come with Oklahoma home basketball games.
“It was crazy. It’s hard not to have high energy when you’re playing in an atmosphere like that,” Oweh said. “It was great.”
Moser had wanted to play a game at Oklahoma's original home since he took over the program before the 2021-22 season. The intimacy was something the Sooners’ usual home arena - Lloyd Noble Center - cannot provide.
“I thought it was everything I hoped for,” Moser said. “Walking out, I saw the packed house full of students. The energy - I say all the time college basketball is one of the sports students can impact the most.”
Kyle Milton led the Golden Lions with 24 points. Rashad Williams added 20, going 5 for 10 from 3-point range.
UAPB shot 8 of 23 from 3-point range after averaging 11 makes per game from beyond the arc coming in. Seven of those 3s came in the second period after the Sooners built a 52-34 halftime lead.
Instead, it was the Sooners’ 3-point shooting that turned the game into a rout. McCollum went 4 for 8 from behind the arc, and Oklahoma hit 13 of 30 long-range attempts. The Sooners shot 57% from the field (40 for 70) overall.
Oklahoma is off to its best start since the 2015-16 season, the last time the program reached the Final Four.
Moser, who has left no stone unturned trying to excite the Sooners' fan base since taking the job, was thrilled with Thursday’s outcome in terms of performance and environment.
“I can’t remember a home game where I was having to give hand signals,” he said. “I really appreciate the students coming out, and this was everything I envisioned. My message to them was, let’s do this over at the LNC now."
BIG PICTURE
UAPB: The Golden Lions started a brutal stretch of games with their first of three against ranked opponents on the road. They’ll visit No. 11 Gonzaga on Tuesday and then travel across the country to face No. 4 UConn on Dec. 9.
Oklahoma: The Sooners played without starting forward Sam Godwin, who averaged 7.7 points and 6.7 points through the first six games. Hugley, a redshirt junior transfer from Pitt, entered the starting lineup and finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
UP NEXT
UAPB: The Golden Lions are at No. 11 Gonzaga on Tuesday.
Oklahoma: Will host Providence on Tuesday as part of the Big East-Big 12 Battle.
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1st Half
UAPB
Golden Lions
34
OKLA
Sooners
52
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
Ishmael Plet vs. John Hugley IV (Rashad Williams gains possession)
19:40
Joe French turnover (lost ball) (Milos Uzan steals)
19:29
+2
Otega Oweh makes two point dunk (Milos Uzan assists)
0-2
19:18
+3
Rashad Williams makes three point jump shot
3-2
19:03
Ishmael Plet personal foul (Javian McCollum draws the foul)
18:57
Lonnell Martin Jr. personal foul (Jalon Moore draws the foul)
18:50
+2
John Hugley IV makes two point layup (Otega Oweh assists)
3-4
18:47
Rashad Williams turnover (lost ball) (Javian McCollum steals)
18:47
+2
Jalon Moore makes two point layup (Javian McCollum assists)
3-6
18:34
Kylen Milton misses three point jump shot
18:32
Jalon Moore defensive rebound
18:29
Ishmael Plet personal foul
18:18
+3
Javian McCollum makes three point jump shot (Milos Uzan assists)
3-9
18:04
Rashad Williams misses three point jump shot
18:02
Ishmael Plet offensive rebound
17:50
+2
Joe French makes two point jump shot
5-9
17:50
Ishmael Plet personal foul
17:50
Robert Lewis personal foul
17:21
Robert Lewis personal foul (Jalon Moore draws the foul)
17:20
Otega Oweh turnover (traveling)
17:05
Rashad Williams misses two point layup
17:03
Milos Uzan defensive rebound
17:03
Javian McCollum turnover (lost ball)
16:51
+2
Lonnell Martin Jr. makes two point jump shot
7-9
16:51
Luke Northweather shooting foul (Lonnell Martin Jr. draws the foul)
16:51
+1
Lonnell Martin Jr. makes regular free throw 1 of 1
8-9
16:34
+3
Milos Uzan makes three point jump shot (Rivaldo Soares assists)
8-12
16:15
Joe French misses three point jump shot
16:15
Kylen Milton offensive rebound
16:15
Milos Uzan personal foul
16:12
Robert Lewis turnover (lost ball) (Le'Tre Darthard steals)
16:04
+2
Le'Tre Darthard makes two point layup
8-14
15:52
Lonnell Martin Jr. misses three point jump shot
15:50
Milos Uzan defensive rebound
15:42
Rivaldo Soares misses three point jump shot
15:40
Joe French defensive rebound
15:35
+2
Kylen Milton makes two point layup (Rashad Williams assists)
10-14
15:09
Milos Uzan misses three point jump shot
15:07
Robert Lewis defensive rebound
14:48
Lonnell Martin Jr. misses two point jump shot
14:46
Rivaldo Soares defensive rebound
14:39
TV timeout
14:39
Otega Oweh turnover
14:40
Otega Oweh turnover
14:03
Kylen Milton misses three point jump shot
14:01
Rivaldo Soares defensive rebound
13:34
Javian McCollum misses two point jump shot
13:32
Robert Lewis defensive rebound
13:23
Kylen Milton turnover (bad pass)
13:13
+3
Le'Tre Darthard makes three point jump shot (Javian McCollum assists)
10-17
12:59
Rashad Williams misses two point jump shot
12:57
Jalon Moore defensive rebound
12:47
+2
John Hugley IV makes two point layup (Rivaldo Soares assists)
10-19
12:18
Rashad Williams misses three point jump shot
12:16
Sooners defensive rebound
11:53
+3
Jalon Moore makes three point jump shot (Milos Uzan assists)
10-22
11:27
Lonnell Martin Jr. misses three point jump shot
11:25
John Hugley IV defensive rebound
11:13
+3
Rivaldo Soares makes three point jump shot (John Hugley IV assists)
10-25
11:08
Golden Lions 30 second timeout
11:08
TV timeout
10:58
Le'Tre Darthard shooting foul (Lonnell Martin Jr. draws the foul)
10:58
+1
Lonnell Martin Jr. makes regular free throw 1 of 2
11-25
10:58
+1
Lonnell Martin Jr. makes regular free throw 2 of 2
12-25
10:48
John Hugley IV misses two point layup
10:46
Jalon Moore offensive rebound
10:39
+2
Jalon Moore makes two point layup
12-27
10:27
Lonnell Martin Jr. misses two point jump shot
10:25
John Hugley IV defensive rebound
10:09
Jyre McCloud personal foul (John Hugley IV draws the foul)
10:07
+2
Otega Oweh makes two point layup (John Hugley IV assists)
12-29
10:07
Robert Lewis shooting foul (Otega Oweh draws the foul)
10:07
+1
Otega Oweh makes regular free throw 1 of 1
12-30
9:50
+2
Kylen Milton makes two point jump shot
14-30
9:40
Le'Tre Darthard misses three point jump shot
9:38
Lonnell Martin Jr. defensive rebound
9:25
Milos Uzan blocks Rashad Williams's two point layup
9:23
Otega Oweh defensive rebound
9:15
Luke Northweather turnover (traveling)
9:06
Kylen Milton misses two point jump shot
9:04
Ishmael Plet offensive rebound
8:57
+2
Ishmael Plet makes two point layup
16-30
8:50
Milos Uzan turnover (bad pass) (Joe French steals)
8:41
+2
Joe French makes two point layup
18-30
8:24
Javian McCollum misses three point jump shot
8:22
Joe French defensive rebound
7:57
Luke Northweather shooting foul (Joe French draws the foul)
7:57
TV timeout
7:57
+1
Joe French makes regular free throw 1 of 2
19-30
7:57
+1
Joe French makes regular free throw 2 of 2
20-30
7:43
Milos Uzan misses three point jump shot
7:41
Jalon Moore offensive rebound
7:34
+3
Javian McCollum makes three point jump shot (Jalon Moore assists)
20-33
7:13
Joe French misses three point jump shot
7:11
Jalon Moore defensive rebound
6:58
+2
Jalon Moore makes two point jump shot
20-35
6:50
Joe French turnover (traveling)
6:36
+2
John Hugley IV makes two point layup (Javian McCollum assists)
20-37
6:24
+2
Ishmael Plet makes two point dunk (Lonnell Martin Jr. assists)
22-37
6:11
+2
Otega Oweh makes two point layup
22-39
6:01
John Hugley IV shooting foul (Kylen Milton draws the foul)
6:01
+1
Kylen Milton makes regular free throw 1 of 2
23-39
6:01
+1
Kylen Milton makes regular free throw 2 of 2
24-39
5:50
+3
Otega Oweh makes three point jump shot (Milos Uzan assists)
24-42
5:37
+2
Kylen Milton makes two point layup
26-42
5:37
John Hugley IV shooting foul (Kylen Milton draws the foul)