Struggling Sooners show poise

MORGANTOWN, W.VA. — Kristian Doolittle scored six of his 12 points in overtime and Jordan Woodard’s layup with 2.2 seconds left lifted Oklahoma to an 89-87 victory over No. 7 West Virginia on Wednesday night.

Woodard scored 18 of his 20 points after halftime in his second start since missing four games with a leg injury.

After scoring 27 points in a win over Texas Tech on Saturday, Woodard made a jumper with 3.1 seconds left in regulation that tied it at 77-77, then made two baskets in the final minute of overtime to send the Mountaineers (15-3, 4-2 Big 12) to their first home loss of the season.

Freshman Kameron McGusty added 17 points for Oklahoma (8-9, 2-4) in just his third start of the season. Sophomore Jamuni McNeace had a career-high 14 points for Oklahoma and Rashard Odomes added 13.

After Jevon Carter tied it with a free throw with 7.8 seconds left in overtime, Woodard drove the lane and scored as he fell. West Virginia threw the ball way on the ensuing inbounds play.

Carter scored a seasonhigh 23 points for West Virginia. Nathan Adrian added 14 and Elijah Macon had a season-high 13 for the Mountaineers.

Oklahoma stormed back from a 14-point deficit with an 18-3 run to tie it at 69-69 with 4:18 left in regulation, and Woodard scored all six of Oklahoma’s final points.

He was fouled on his last shot attempt of regulation but missed a free throw that would have won it.

Oklahoma used a taller starting lineup and manhandled West Virginia inside in the first half, but the Mountaineers changed that after halftime with aggressive play to the basket.

West Virginia made five free throws in the first 2 minutes — as many as it did in the entire first half.

Eight of West Virginia’s first 10 baskets of the second half were layups and short bank shots. Carter finished off a 14-0 run with a fast-break layup for a 66-51 lead with 8:57 left.

Oklahoma quickly got back in the game over the next 4 minutes.

Big Picture

Oklahoma: Sixth-year coach Lon Kruger is in the midst of a challenging season after taking the Sooners to the Final Four a year ago.

Oklahoma had lost seven of its previous eight games, but its solid play Wednesday proved there’s no quit in this season.

West Virginia: The Mountaineers struggled for the second straight game against a young opponent.

After sneaking past Texas 74-72 on Saturday, the Mountaineers were manhandled inside early by Oklahoma and were lax defensively down the stretch in the second half.

Up Next

Oklahoma hosts Iowa State on Saturday.

West Virginia plays at Kansas State on Saturday then returns home to face No. 2 Kansas on Tuesday.