Sooners Close Homestand, Face South Alabama Friday

NORMAN – Oklahoma concludes its four-game homestand to open the season with a matchup against South Alabama on Friday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m.

The Sooners hold the 2-1 series advantage, splitting the two Norman contests. Oklahoma earned the 79-72 victory in the last meeting between the two programs during the 1981-82 season.

OU secured the wire-to-wire 74-53 victory over UNCW in its last contest and improved to 2-1 on the season.

Grant Sherfield and Joe Bamisile led the Sooners with 15 points apiece and C.J. Noland added a career-high 11 points on 4 of 6 shooting from the field. The trio of Sherfield, Basmisile and Noland combined for eight of OU's 10 3-pointers. Sherfield dished out a season-high six assists and Jalen Hill and Tanner Groves recorded a game-best nine rebounds.

OU finished the game shooting 53.1% (26-49) from the field and 43.5% (10-23) from 3-point range.

ON THE AIR

Friday's game will be televised on ESPN+ with Chad McKee and Bryndon Manzer on the call.

The contest is scheduled to tip at 7 p.m. CT and will air on the Sooner Sports Radio Network (KRXO 107.7 FM The Franchise in Oklahoma City; KTBZ 1430 AM in Tulsa; Varsity Radio App) with Toby Rowland and Kevin Henry announcing.

TICKET PROMOTION

Bring your Bedlam football ticket to the Oklahoma men's basketball game against South Alabama on Friday, Nov. 18 and receive specially priced tickets for you and your guests for only $5 each.

SCOUTING THE JAGUARS

South Alabama beat Mobile 97-59 to open the season and have dropped back-to-back games. The Jaguars fell to New Mexico 80-74 on Friday, Nov. 11 and to No. 18 Alabama 65-55 on Tuesday Nov. 18.
Ritchie Riley is in his fifth year as South Alabama head coach and has compiled a 76-53. Prior to his time in Mobile, Ala., Riley spent two years at Nicholls, leading the Colonels to a 35-28 mark.
Isaiah Moore leads a trio of Jaguar scorers that average double-figure points. Moore averages 17.7 points and adds a team-high 6.3 assists per contest. Kevin Samuel is the team's leading rebounder, corralling 9.3 boards per game to go along with 11.7 points. Greg Parham II rounds out the trio of scorers, adding 10.7 points per game. Moore, Samuel, Parham II, Tyrell Jones and Owen White have started all three games to open the season.

LAST MEETING: SOUTH ALABAMA

Oklahoma earned the 79-72 victory against South Alabama and improved to 8-3 in the second year of the Billy Tubbs era.
Chuck Barnett recorded a team-high 23 points and David Little scored 21 points. Calvin Pierce wrangled a team-best 11 rebounds and added eight points.
The Sooners shot 49.0% (27-55) from the field and pulled away from the Jaguars after shooting 65.2% (15-23) in the second half. Oklahoma went to the free throw line 38 times, visiting the charity stripe 15 more times than South Alabama.

GRANT GOT GAME

Grant Sherfield is 16th among active NCAA Division I career leaders in assists per game (5.0), 17th in assists turnover ratio (1.92), 26th in total assists (435) and 30th in scoring average (15.0).
Sherfield and Oakland's Jalen Moore are the only two active DI men's basketball players to have career averages of 15.0 points (min. 800 points) and 5.0 assists (min. 150 assists) per game.

WELCOME TO NORMAN

Doc Sadler joined the men's basketball staff as special advisor to the head coach on Thursday, Nov. 17. Sadler, a 40-year college coaching veteran and former 18-year head coach, most recently spent three years on staff at Nebraska (2019-22). He last served as head coach from 2014-19 at Southern Miss after spending six seasons as head coach at Nebraska (2006-12). He was also head coach at UTEP from 2004-06 and Arkansas-Fort Smith from 1998-03.

RANKING SUMMARY

Oklahoma is ranked in the top 50 in four NCAA categories. OU is 17th in 3-point percentage defense (20.4), 25th in scoring defense (54.3), 32nd in defensive rebounds per game (31.33) and 47th in field goal percentage defense (36.2).
Tanner Groves is third in the nation and first in the Big 12 in defensive rebounds per game (9.7). Groves in 45th nationally and third in the conference in blocks (6).

UP NEXT

Oklahoma travels to Kissimmee, Fla., for the ESPN Events Invitational Nov. 24-27. The Sooners open against Nebraska on Thursday, Nov. 24 at 4 p.m. at State Farm Field House.