NORMAN — A sluggish start didn’t hold the Sooners back for long.
In their final contest before opening Big 12 play, the Oklahoma Sooners beat the Alcorn State Braves 72-48 on Wednesday night inside the Lloyd Noble Center.
The win over the Braves (1-11) pushed OU’s record to 10-2 headed into the grind of conference play.
Due to a cold shooting start, the Sooners only push3: the lead to 11-4 with 10 minutes elapsed, but sharpshooter Umoja Gibson woke up the OU offense.
Gibson drilled a dead-on 3-pointer to stake the Sooners to a 10-point lead, and on the ensuing possession he hit a deep bucket with his foot on the 3-point line to complete the quick five-point burst.
From there, the Sooners began to assert themselves, building a 34-15 halftime lead.
The game opened up after halftime as both teams began to find their groove offensively.
OU’s defense continued to shine, however, ensuring that the Braves were never within striking distance.
In fact, Oklahoma opened up a 33-point lead with just over five minutes left, OU’s largest lead of the night.
Gibson led all scorers with 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting, his second straight game pacing OU, while also adding four rebounds and two assists.
Jordan Goldwire and Tanner Groves were the other Sooner starters to join Gibson scoring in double figures, adding 11 and 10 points, respectively.
The blowout allowed for head coach Porter Moser to empty the bench, something he’s wanted to do as he continues to build the depth of his team from top to bottom headed into Big 12 play.
Big man Ethan Chargois led the OU reserves with eight points, and true freshman Bijan Cortes also had a nice showing with six points.
The Sooners have the holidays off before returning to Lloyd Noble on Jan. 1.
Oklahoma hosts the Kansas State Wildcats at 7 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPNU.
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