Porter Moser, Sooners hoping to build on encouraging win over Marquette

There was reason to be skeptical Oklahoma could rally from a 12-point deficit last weekend.

The Sooners (5-2) had dropped their previous high-profile games against Gonzaga and Nebraska. In both games, the Sooners blew second-half leads behind lackluster defense.

But against Marquette, the Sooners dug in defensively and made some big shots offensively. When Marquette rallied behind an 8-0 run to tie the game late, Derrion Reid hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 35 seconds to go. And with the game on the line, Tae Davis played locked-down defense to force a bad shot that missed as time expired.

It felt like a step forward for the Sooners. Now, they’ll look to build on that in Tuesday’s matchup at Wake Forest in the ACC/SEC Challenge (6 p.m. ACCN).

“We were down (23) in the second half basically on the road — you could say it was neutral, but it wasn’t neutral — and the guys just kept on with it,” Moser said Monday. “The thing we have to hang our hat on is we defended. We got the lead back because we defended and held them. Those stretches were our best parts defensively. Then we had some guys make some big plays. I thought Jeff Nwankwo hit some big shots. Jadon Jones hit a big shot. Derrion Reid hit a big shot. Nigel (Pack) hit a big shot. We had a lot of guys make big shots in that stretch.

“If you’re guarding and you’re down, you can’t trade baskets. You have to get some stops to cut away at that lead. That’s something they’ve heard from me the last 48 hours and will continue to hear from me, is you’ve got to guard.”

Tae Davis finding his rhythm on both ends

The Marquette game felt like a huge step forward for the former Notre Dame transfer. Davis finished with season highs in both points (19) and assists (5) while adding 11 rebounds. He also shot 8-of-9 from the floor.

Plus, his ability as a defender on switches was pivotal on the final possession.

“He kind of made him another primary ball handler, initiating offense,” Moser said. “And, you know, we saw some things. I know (Xzayvier Brown’s) ankle was still bothering him from the game before and so we did some things putting him as a primary ball handler and man, he made nice passes, he got to the rim, really got us going offensively off the dribble. He’s a tough matchup with his size.

“But I thought he was playing under control. The thing that really sticks out is he made some really nice passes out of it too. He scored on it, but he created for others on it. So that was great to see. And then obviously, I’ve said his best part of his defense is his on-ball defending. He’s evolving and getting better off the ball, but on the ball that if you look at that last possession, he switched like four times and they…couldn’t get by and then made him take a tough shot.”

Pack continues to shoot well

The former Miami guard has shown no signs of slowing down.

Through seven games, Pack is averaging a team-high 19.3 points per game while shooting a blistering 51% from the floor and 51% from the 3-point line (31/61). He scored 24 points and made five 3-pointers in the win over Marquette.

“Great shooters have short-term memories,” Moser said. “If Nijel misses two or three, I don’t think it even phases him. I think he knows he can come back and hit three in a row just as fast as he missed three in a row. I love that confidence. He’s got deep, deep range. He’s got a good midrange shot. But I love his experience of not getting rattled in the situations, not getting rattled on the road. He’s played on the road a lot. And I love his veteran mentality.”

Wake Forest scouting report

It’ll be a bit of a reunion on Tuesday for Moser. Wake Forest is coached by former OU assistant Steve Forbes, who was on Moser’s staff at Illinois Staff in 2003.

The Demon Deacons (6-2) rank 7th in the ACC in scoring (87.4 points per game) and 14th in scoring defense (71.9 points per game). They’re two losses came against No. 3 Michigan and No. 19 Texas Tech, and they lost both games by one point. The Michigan loss came in overtime.

It’s an opportunity for a Quad 1 win. The Sooners are 0-2 on the season in Quad 1 games.

“I just think they play really hard,” Moser said. “Obviously, Steve was one of my assistant coaches and I respect him a ton. His teams are playing really well on both ends. They really are aggressive defensively. Offensively, they don’t stop moving. And the thing about it is how many points they create off turnovers — that was the focus against Marquette — and then how many points they create off the glass. Those two in-the-trench stats are gonna be key with that.

“So, this is a huge game for both teams. There’s no question, I think they’re an NCAA Tournament team.”

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