Three takeaways from Sooners’ win against Hawks

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NORMAN — The OU men’s basketball team was in a dogfight with Monmouth in the first half Sunday.

The Sooners had just a 4-point lead heading into the break, and Monmouth was holding its own.

But OU asserted its dominance after coming out of the locker room.

With Jalon Moore leading the way, the 12th-ranked Sooners pulled away and rolled to a 72-56 New Year’s Eve victory at Lloyd Noble Center.

OU improved to 12-1, while Monmouth fell to 7-6.

Here are three takeaways from OU’s win.

More: OU men’s basketball: Breaking down the Sooners’ roster for the 2023-24 season

Oklahoma forward Jalon Moore (14) dunks in front of Monmouth forward Nikita Konstantynovskyi (25) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023, in Norman, Okla. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Jalon Moore leads Sooners to victory

The junior forward played a big role in the win, leading OU with 21 points.

Moore was efficient, hitting 8 of 10 shots from the field and 3 of 4 from 3-point range. He also had six rebounds and two blocks.

Monmouth coach King Rice walked away impressed with Moore.

“We did an incredible job on him, but then the second half he became a warrior,” Rice said.

This was Moore’s highest-scoring game of his college career. He spent his first two seasons at Georgia Tech.

From 3-pointers to dunks, he provided a much-needed spark. He was a big reason OU pulled away in the second half.

“It was really just our team bringing the energy on the defensive end,” Moore said. “So we were able to get out and run and get transition points. That created a spark, and we kept running with it.”

More: Five things to know about OU men’s basketball team for 2023-24 season

Oklahoma guard Otega Oweh (3) celebrates after making a 3-point basket against Monmouth during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023, in Norman, Okla. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Trio of other Sooners score in double figures

Along with Moore, Otega Oweh, Javian McCollum and Milos Uzan each…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/ou-basketball-vs-monmouth-three-233028943.html

Author : The Oklahoman

Publish date : 2023-12-31 23:30:28

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