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OU basketball edges Wisconsin, almost time for real thing

Bob Przybyloby: Bob Przybylo10/25/25BPrzybylo

Tie game in the final minute, and look out, OU basketball has someone it knows it can trust. Someone who has been there a time or two before.

Those clutch-time moments might feel a little different coming up this season because of transfer guard Nijel Pack.

He is not going to be afraid of the moment. And more times than not, he’s going to deliver in the moment.

It’s just an exhibition, sure, but Pack was nails in the final minute as OU leaves Milwaukee with an 84-83 victory against Wisconsin on Friday evening.

The Badgers hit a three-pointer as time expired to make it look even closer than what it was. Because there was no last-second drama because of Pack.

He hit a mid-range jumper with 14 seconds left to give OU an 82-78 advantage. After a Badger bucket, it was Pack draining two free throws with five seconds to allow OU fans to breathe and celebrate.

Pack finished with 15 points, five rebounds and two assists. All 15 points occurred in the second half. OU hit 11 3-pointers.

“(Exhibition) games like this are so good for both teams,” said fifth-year OU head coach Porter Moser in a press release. “(Wisconsin head coach) Greg (Gard) and I were talking earlier, we hope the NCAA goes to more of them because you want to play guys, you want to get a lot of guys experience.

“The situations that arise playing teams like this are invaluable. I thought both teams got a lot out of it. I bet both teams are going to go to the film room and say there’s a lot of room to improve. But that’s why you do it. Find out how you can get better.”

Quick-hit Takeaways

*Oh, the transfers. You have to like a lot of what you saw from Pack, Derrion Reid and Xzayvier Brown, in particular.

Reid was a force in the first half on his way to 14 points and four rebounds. Brown is a stat-sheet stuffer and was again. He led the team with 18 points and added five assists and four rebounds.

*Mo Wague in a big spot and hit some clutch free throws. Porter Moser is so optimistic about Wague building off the end of last season and becoming that much better.

Wauge had nine points and six rebounds to go with three blocks.

*Fourteen minutes in the homecoming for freshman Kai Rogers. Wisconsin native only had two points but three blocks. How quickly he adapts to SEC life will be huge. Physically? He already looks the part.

*Jeff Nwankwo added 10 points, and OU fans can finally see him healthy. He had a steal and a dunk to make it 76-70, felt like it might be enough. Badgers countered with a 6-0 run of their own.

*OU wilted a bit down the stretch, taking care of the ball. The Sooners finished with 16 turnovers. You’d imagine that gets cleaned up the more chemistry they build with each other in the days and weeks ahead.

*That’s it for exhibitions. An 89-87 win vs. Texas Tech. Now this victory. Local media day set for next week. Real thing? Closer than you think, Nov. 3 vs. St. Francis in Norman.

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