Oklahoma seeks its third consecutive win when it faces South Alabama on Friday night in nonconference action at Norman, Okla.
The Sooners (2-1) opened the season with a lackluster 52-51 loss to Sam Houston but have responded with victories over Arkansas-Pine Bluff and UNC Wilmington.
The 74-53 win over UNC Wilmington on Tuesday was Oklahoma’s best effort of the young season. The Sooners shot 10 of 23 (43.5 percent) from 3-point range while limiting the Seahawks to 2 of 21 (9.5 percent) and also holding a 37-28 rebounding advantage.
Grant Sherfield and backup Joe Bamisile each scored 15 points for the Sooners. Sherfield scored 12 of his points in the second half.
Oklahoma is the third stop for Sherfield, who began his career at Wichita State and spent the past two seasons at Nevada. He averaged 18.6 points and 6.1 assists in his first season at Nevada and 19.1 points with 6.4 assists last season.
“He’s played a lot of games, he’s scored a lot of points and he doesn’t panic,” Sooners coach Porter Moser said of Sherfield, who is averaging a team-best 15 points per game. “You know, he just stayed the course. And I thought that was big. … This is his fourth year of college basketball. He’s played a lot of minutes.”
South Alabama (1-2) has lost two straight games, including a 65-55 defeat to No. 18 Alabama on Tuesday.
The Jaguars shot just 29.6 percent from the field — including 2 of 23 from 3-point range — and were outrebounded 63-40.
South Alabama coach Richie Riley liked the effort if not the result.
“I’m proud of our guys. I love my team. I wouldn’t trade them for anybody,” Riley said. “I think we are going to be right there, we are going to continue to keep getting better. We’re not going to go 2-for-23 from three very often, especially with the quality looks we were getting.”
Isaiah Moore, who scored 20 points on Tuesday, leads the Jaguars with a 17.7 scoring average. Kevin Samuel, who averages 11.7 points and 9.3 rebounds, notched his 49th double-digit rebounding game by grabbing 10 boards against the Crimson Tide.
Oklahoma is 2-1 against South Alabama and won the most recent meeting 79-72 on Jan. 6, 1982.
–Field Level Media