Sooners recover from uneven start, beat St. Francis in season opener
NORMAN — Things got a little dicey for Oklahoma on Monday.
The Sooners had an up-and-down first half and let St. Francis hang around, taking a one-point lead into halftime. St. The Red Flash opened the second half with back-to-back buckets to take a 49-45 lead.
That’s when the Sooners appeared to kick it into gear. They responded with a 32-3 run to completely take control of the game. That run included eight straight points from redshirt freshman Kuol Atak, who made back-to-back 3s and a layup.
That run propelled the Sooners to a 102-66 season-opening win over the Red Flash at Lloyd Noble Center.
Here’s three quick takeaways from the win:
1. Mohamed Wague leads the way on both ends
Last month during media day, OU coach Porter Moser praised Wague’s development late last season. The only issue? He fouled way too much, which limited his minutes.
Wague showed what can happen if he stays out of foul trouble.
The senior finished with a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double, adding two assists, three blocks and a steal. He got off to a fast start, scoring 12 of his points in the first half.
Wague showed the interior presence the Sooners need on both ends. He was particularly effective defending the rim, and had just two fouls in 25 minutes.
That’s the kind of effort the Sooners need this season.
2. OU’s defense struggles early, tightens up after halftime
Moser certainly wasn’t happy with his team’s defense early. The Red Flash scored 45 points in the first half while shooting 50% from the field (20/40 FG) and 40% from the 3-point line. The Sooners’ defense tried to run a zone press for most of the first half, but struggled to keep the Red Flash from generating open looks.
After that St. Francis run to open the second half, the Sooners tightened up. The Red Flash scored just three points over the next nine minutes, allowing the Sooners to seize control of the game.
The Red Flash scored just 22 points in the second half on 26% shooting from the field.
3. Nijel Pack shows his outside shooting
In addition to being a highly-touted prospect in the transfer portal last offseason, Pack had one key skill the Sooners desperately needed — his 3-point shot. In his five years at Miami, Pack shot 40% from beyond the arc on 6.3 attempts per game.
He showed that in the Sooners’ season opener. He scored 16 points on 4/9 shooting from 3, adding three assists and three rebounds.
4. Kuol Atak steals the show
The crowd at Lloyd Noble Center didn’t have much to cheer about until the Sooners’ second-half run to seize control.
But they were at their loudest when Atak started making plays.
Atak — who redshirted last season — made his first career basket on a 3-point shot during the Sooners’ run. On the next possession, he followed it with another 3-pointer. On the next possession, he faked the 3 and got to the rim for a layup.
But he wasn’t done there. He made two more 3-pointers and a dunk, scoring all of his game-high 18 points in the second half. He shot 6/9 from the field and 4/7 from the 3-point line. He also added a block, showcasing his length on the defensive end.
Atak’s length and athleticism is a big reason why the Sooners signed him in the 2024 class. He got his chance to play in the season opener, and showed how he could potentially impact this year’s team on both ends of the floor.
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