Oweh scores on tip-in with 1.4 seconds left to give Oklahoma a thrilling 72-70 win over USC
AP
Nov 24, 2023
SAN DIEGO (AP) Otega Oweh tipped in Javian McCollum's missed jumper with 1.4 seconds left to give Oklahoma Sooners a thrilling 72-70 victory over No. 23 Southern California on Friday in the championship game of the inaugural Rady Children's Invitational.
Boogie Ellis' desperation heave was off the mark at the buzzer, setting off a wild celebration as the Sooners surged to 6-0. McCollum scored 18 points and was named tournament MVP. Oweh had 16 points and John Hugley IV added 14.
USC Trojans's DJ Rodman was fouled by Oweh with 27.9 seconds left and made both ends of a one-and-one to tie it at 70. Oklahoma called a timeout with 25.4 seconds left and played for the final shot. McCollum's step-back jumper from just inside the 3-point line with about three seconds left bounced off the rim, but Oweh crashed from the side, got over Rodman for the rebound and put in the winner.
Neither Rodman, the son of former NBA rebounding great Dennis Rodman, nor any of the other three Trojans in and near the key boxed out.
“It was a tie game at the end so we had to crash. We were just playing to the end, that’s all,” Oweh said. “I saw the guy turn his back, I just crashed, was wide open and went for it.”
McCollum said he “got some space, took the shot and I saw Otega flying in for the rebound. Coach always preaches coming in for the rebound flying. That’s what he did.”
Oklahoma coach Porter Moser said Oweh knew he had to crash.
“I love how Otega got bottled up on one possession and then fouled, and then he came back and made that play. He came out of nowhere and made a great athletic play.”
Failing to block out was just one of several mistakes the Trojans made down the stretch.
“We played good defense to defend his shot and then DJ forgot to block out,” coach Andy Enfield said. “He blocked out the time before and was able to get two free throws because they came over his back, but we had four guys with inside position and we didn’t block out. He ran in from the corner and we didn’t put a body on him. He tipped it in. That’s on our guys.
“It would have been nice to settle that in overtime,” Enfield said. “But you have to block out, especially in the last second.”
Ellis, who played at San Diego's Mission Bay High, and Kobe Johnson scored 16 points apiece for USC (4-2) while Rodman and Isaiah Collier had 10 apiece.
USC had an eight-point lead early in the second half but was hurt by turnovers and missed shots, including a 3-pointer by Ellis that would have given it the lead with just more than a minute left. With USC still trailing by two, Collier slipped and turned over the ball with 35.1 seconds left.
USC led 39-36 at halftime and Ellis scored the first five points of the second half, including a long 3-pointer, for the first of two eight-point leads. But the Sooners came racing back with a 7-0 run that included a 3-pointer by McCollum, a steal and a slam dunk by Oweh and another dunk by Sam Godwin.
BRONNY JAMES
USC's Bronny James went through a full warmup, including hitting a nice step-back 3-pointer. It was the third straight game he was on the court with his teammates before a game. He also high-fived some kids and signed autographs. The son of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has yet to make his collegiate debut after it was determined he had a congenital heart defect that was treatable and the team has not given a timetable.
BIG PICTURE
Oklahoma: Hugley, a 6-foot-10, 275-pound center, made all four of his 3-point shots.
USC: Collier had six of USC's 11 turnovers.
UP NEXT
Oklahoma: Hosts Arkansas Pine Bluff on Thursday night.
USC: Hosts Eastern Washington on Wednesday night.
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1st Half
OKLA
Sooners
36
USC
Trojans
39
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
Sam Godwin vs. Joshua Morgan (Otega Oweh gains possession)
19:29
Sooners turnover (shot clock violation)
19:10
Boogie Ellis misses two point jump shot
19:08
Jalon Moore defensive rebound
18:58
Milos Uzan misses three point jump shot
18:56
DJ Rodman defensive rebound
18:51
Kobe Johnson personal foul (Sam Godwin draws the foul)
18:49
Javian McCollum turnover (bad pass) (Kobe Johnson steals)
18:44
+2
Isaiah Collier makes two point layup (Kobe Johnson assists)
0-2
18:28
+3
Otega Oweh makes three point jump shot (Javian McCollum assists)
3-2
18:15
DJ Rodman turnover (lost ball)
18:04
+2
Jalon Moore makes two point alley-oop dunk (Milos Uzan assists)
5-2
17:50
Otega Oweh personal foul (Boogie Ellis draws the foul)
17:35
+3
Isaiah Collier makes three point jump shot
5-5
17:25
Milos Uzan turnover (out of bounds)
17:11
+2
Boogie Ellis makes two point jump shot
5-7
17:02
+2
Javian McCollum makes two point jump shot
7-7
16:50
Boogie Ellis misses two point jump shot
16:48
Joshua Morgan offensive rebound
16:41
DJ Rodman misses two point jump shot
16:39
Milos Uzan defensive rebound
16:20
John Hugley IV turnover (lost ball) (Joshua Morgan steals)
16:13
Kobe Johnson misses two point layup
16:11
Sooners defensive rebound
16:00
Kobe Johnson blocks Le'Tre Darthard's two point jump shot
15:58
Kobe Johnson defensive rebound
15:52
Boogie Ellis misses two point jump shot
15:50
DJ Rodman offensive rebound
15:44
Kobe Johnson misses three point jump shot
15:42
Javian McCollum defensive rebound
15:38
+3
John Hugley IV makes three point jump shot (Javian McCollum assists)
10-7
15:15
Isaiah Collier misses two point jump shot
15:13
Joshua Morgan offensive rebound
15:08
+2
Kobe Johnson makes two point layup (Joshua Morgan assists)
10-9
14:53
DJ Rodman blocks John Hugley IV's two point layup
14:51
DJ Rodman defensive rebound
14:51
Jump ball. DJ Rodman vs. John Hugley IV (Trojans gains possession)
14:51
TV timeout
14:23
Isaiah Collier misses three point jump shot
14:21
Sooners defensive rebound
14:19
DJ Rodman personal foul
14:04
Le'Tre Darthard misses two point jump shot
14:02
Boogie Ellis defensive rebound
13:52
Harrison Hornery misses three point jump shot
13:50
John Hugley IV defensive rebound
13:45
Otega Oweh turnover (traveling)
13:25
+3
DJ Rodman makes three point jump shot (Boogie Ellis assists)
10-12
13:04
Rivaldo Soares misses three point jump shot
13:02
Vincent Iwuchukwu defensive rebound
12:52
+2
Vincent Iwuchukwu makes two point layup (Boogie Ellis assists)
10-14
12:41
+2
Javian McCollum makes two point layup
12-14
12:18
Harrison Hornery misses two point jump shot
12:16
Rivaldo Soares defensive rebound
12:12
John Hugley IV misses two point layup
12:10
Rivaldo Soares offensive rebound
12:05
Harrison Hornery personal foul (Rivaldo Soares draws the foul)
12:01
+2
Otega Oweh makes two point layup (Milos Uzan assists)