Sherfield, Oklahoma emphatically halt Alabama’s 9-game win streak
With Oklahoma set to join the Southeastern Conference in 2025, Sooners fans used the SEC/Big 12 Challenge to give Alabama a dose of the energy they plan to bring to the league.
After taunting the second-ranked Crimson Tide with chants of “S-E-C” and “overrated” in the second half, the fans stormed the court — a rare occurrence at Oklahoma. Grant Sherfield scored a season-high 30 points, and the Sooners beat Alabama 93-69 on Saturday.
It was the kind of moment second-year Oklahoma coach Porter Moser envisioned when he left Loyola of Chicago to take over the Sooners.
“I thought the crowd was unbelievable,” he said. “I sat there when the crowd rushed the floor — you know, my younger self might have ran out in the middle of it — and I just sat there and just said, ‘This is a vision.’ And like, this kind of excitement with the student body — I thought they were awesome. They were there early. Best crowd I’ve had since I’ve been here.”
Jalen Hill added a career-high 26 points on 9-for-11 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds. He also was assigned to guard Alabama freshman Brandon Miller, who came in averaging 19.5 points, but finished with 11.
Tanner Groves had 14 points and 12 rebounds for Oklahoma (12-9), which shot 58% from the field and posted a season-high point total. It was Oklahoma’s first win over a team ranked in the AP’s top two since the 2002 Big 12 Tournament and its largest victory margin ever against an AP top-five team.
No. 24 Clemson 82, FSU 81: Chase Hunter drove the lane and drew a foul, sinking the free throw, to help the Tigers escape with a win over the host Seminoles. Hunter Tyson scored 27 points on 10 of 17 shooting for Clemson, which halted an eightgame road losing streak to Florida State. Matthew Cleveland scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half for Florida State, which made a season-high 13 three-pointers.
No. 21 FAU 70, W. Kentucky 63: Brandon Weatherspoon scored 14 points and the host Owls (21-1, 11-0) defeated the Hilltoppers to remain undefeated at home, and extend FAU’s winning streak to a program-record 20 games, which is now the nation’s longest. The Owls’ 21 victories on the season ties their Division I record set in 2010-11. Western Kentucky (11-11, 3-8 Conference USA) has lost five straight.
No. 3 Houston 75,
AAACincinnati 69: Jarace Walker had a career-high 25 points and seven rebounds, and the host Cougars rallied from an 11point second-half deficit to defeat the Bearcats.
No. 7 Virginia 76, Boston College 57: Armaan Franklin and Jayden Gardner scored 18 points each and the host Cavaliers used a big first-half run to take control in a win over the Eagles, the Cavaliers’ sixth straight victory.
Mississippi St. 81, No. 11 TCU 74 (OT): Tolu Smith had 27 points, 13 rebounds and five assists to lead the host Bulldogs over the Horned Frogs.
Missouri 78, No. 12 Iowa St. 61: Kobe Brown scored 20 points, and D’Moi Hodge scored 17 points to help the host Tigers take down the Cyclones in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
Creighton 84, No. 13 Xavier 67: Arthur Kamula scored 20 points, Creighton’s four other starters finished in double-figures and the host Bluejays toppled the Musketeers for their fourth straight Big East win.
West Virginia 80, No. 15 Auburn 77: Erik Stevenson scored a career-high 31 points and the host Mountaineers withstood a furious late rally from to beat the Tigers in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
No. 16 Marquette 89, DePaul 69: David Joplin
AAAAAAwent 8 for 11 from threepoint range for a careerhigh 28 points, Tyler Kolek had a double-double and the Golden Eagles defeated the host Blue Demons.
No. 17 Baylor 67, Arkansas 64: Keyonte George scored 24 points, including seven in a row down the stretch, and the host Bears beat the Razorbacks in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
Hofstra 85, No. 18 Coll. of Charleston 81: Aaron Estrada scored 25 points and Darlinstone Dubar added 18 as the Pride ended the host Cougars’ 20-game win streak.
AAWOMEN’S TOP 25
No. 23 Middle Tennessee 67, FIU 41: , Savannah Wheeler scored 18 points, and the host Blue Raiders extended their win streak to 16 games with a convincing win over the Panthers. Kaliah Henderson and Maria Torres both scored 10 points for the Panthers (10-10, 5-6).
No. 10 Iowa 80, Nebraska 76: Caitlin Clark had 33 points and 12 rebounds, and the host Hawkeyes held off the Cornhuskers.
No. 18 Iowa St. 86,
No. 14 Oklahoma 78: Ashley Joens scored 32 points to lead the host Cyclones over Oklahoma, overshadowing the Sooners’ Taylor Robertson becoming the Division I leader in three-pointers.
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