Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus Wisconsin on October 24, 2025 , Win , 84, to, 83
Final
Men's Basketball
84
vs Wisconsin
83
University of Oklahoma Athletics
Friday, November 12
Norman
7:00 PM
University of Oklahoma
77
vs
57
Coppin State
Fitzgerald's 22 Leads Sooners Past Coppin State
November 12, 2010 | Men's Basketball
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Video Library | NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -- Andrew Fitzgerald scored a career-high 22 points and Oklahoma beat Coppin State 77-57 Friday in the season opener for both schools.
Fitzgerald, a sophomore from Baltimore, Md., scored 15 points in the second half and finished the game 8 for 13 from the field. Steven Pledger had 13 points and Cameron Clark led the Sooners with 11 rebounds.
"I like the way we won tonight," Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel said. "We were very together."
Michael Harper led Coppin State with 18 points. The Eagles trailed 36-27 at the half and made only three of their first 15 shots in the second half, allowing the Sooners to build a 50-34 lead with just over 10 minutes to go.
Oklahoma shot 51 percent while limiting Coppin State to just 34 percent.
"It went great for the first game," Fitzgerald said. "There were a lot of young guys and they brought great energy. It wasn't individual basketball, it was team basketball."
Oklahoma's youth showed at times as six players made their debut for the Sooners against the Eagles, including four freshmen. The Sooners' newcomers combined for 34 points, 44 percent of Oklahoma's output.
Among the newcomers was junior college transfer Nick Thompson. The 6-foot-9 forward showed an ability to distribute the ball from the post and finished with seven assists.
Thompson did a little bit of everything for Oklahoma. He finished with eight points on 2 for 3 shooting, including a 3-pointer, and drew two charges.
"I feel Nick is the ultimate 'glue guy,'" Capel said. "We can put him anywhere."
That includes point guard, a position Thompson said he played at times as a freshman at the College of Eastern Utah. Capel said Thompson has even seen time at point guard during the Sooners' practices.
Pledger and Calvin Newell, who played the point against Coppin State, took care of the ball. The Sooners finished with just 10 turnovers.
Coppin State kept the game close early with good transition defense also limited its own turnovers with four at the half and eight for the game.
However, the Eagles were unable to establish a post presence against the larger Fitzgerald and Thompson, especially in the second half when they managed just six points in the paint to Oklahoma's 12.
Fitzgerald and Thompson helped Oklahoma control the post, especially in the second half when the Sooners outscored the Eagles in the paint 12-6. However, Fitzgerald and Thompson combined for just 12 of the Sooners' 36 rebounds and Coppin State nearly matched the Sooners with 33 rebounds. After the game, Capel said Fitzgerald needed to do a better job rebounding.
"I know we've made progress," Capel said. "I would have known we've made progress if we'd won by 10. We've made progress in practice but we still have a long way to go."
Porter Moser Media Availability - 10/28/25
Tuesday, October 28
MBB Highlights: OU 84, Wisconsin 83 (Exh.)
Saturday, October 25
Porter Moser Postgame vs. Wisconsin (Exh.)
Saturday, October 25
SEC Tipoff - Porter Moser, Nijel Pack & Tae Davis
Wednesday, October 15
