How Sweep It Is: Pokes Beat Sooners 79-75 To Complete Regular Season Sweep

STILLWATER – It was a close game from start to finish, but Cade Cunningham got hot late to give the Pokes a 79-75 win over OU to complete the regular season sweep of the Sooners for the first time since the 2016-17 season.

With the win, the Cowboys have now won five-straight game to move to 17-6 overall and 10-6 in conference play.

With just over a minute left, Bryce Williams turned the ball over in the paint. Harkless of OU would drive the other way, but Kalib Boone came up with a huge block to give the Pokes the ball back up 74-72.

Williams would come up with a steal on Austin Reaves and attempt to hit Kalib Boone with a lob on the ensuing drive, but Boone was fouled by Reaves in the attempt. He’d miss the first but make the second to put the Pokes up three, 75-72 with just :37.7 left in the game.

Brady Manek had a chance to tie the game up with a corner three, but it clanked off the iron and rebounded by Rondel Walker. Cunningham would get fouled after getting the pass from Walker and nailed both shots to put the Pokes up five.

On the ensuing drive down the court, Austin Reaves hit a circus layup and completed the 3-point play to put the Sooners back within two and fouled Cunningham with :6.3 left to send him back to the line. He’d hit both to put the Pokes up four and the game out of reach for the 79-75 win.

After a slow start to the first half, Cunningham finished with 15 points and seven rebounds with four assists. They were also able to limit turnovers from Saturday as they finished with just 14.

With Cunningham’s slow start, it was Kalib Boone who stole the show for the Pokes as he finished with 17 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the floor with nine rebounds and one block.

Senior Bryce Williams also scored in double digit figures as he finished with 14 points.

The Pokes were solid from the field as they shot 53%, while holding the Sooners to 41% shooting on the other end. The Pokes also out-rebounded the Sooners 36 to 29 and out-scored OU 42-26 in the paint.

It was a tight first half between the Pokes and Sooners as the two entered halftime with just a one-point separation, 36-35. Sophomore Kalib Boone scored eight of the first 10 points for OSU, while the Sooners were red-hot from beyond the arc making four of their first five shots for three.

Things got a little dicey for the Pokes around the 15-minute mark as they’d go on a near-four-minute field goal drought but would turn around and go on a near-five-minute 9-0 run to tie the game up at 25 with just over six minutes remaining in the half.

Cade Cunningham had a rough first half as he’d go scoreless from the field as a result of OU floating an extra player or two around him at all times on offense. He’d finish the half with just two points from the free throw line.

The second half was just as tight as the first as it was a one-point game, 53-52, at the media timeout with 11 minutes left in the game. Cade Cunningham started to heat up just a few minutes later. After scoring just his third point of the game around the 10 minute mark, he’d hit his first field goal in the game with 7:15 left in the game and would start a 7-0 run that included another field goal and huge three from the wing from Bryce Williams to put the Pokes up 66-64 with 6:13 left.

The Sooners would tie it up at 70 just under the five-minute mark and keep it close until the final minute of the game.

The Cowboys travel to Waco on Thursday, March 4 for a showdown with No. 3 baylor. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. CT on ESPN2.