Men's Hoops Treks to Texas for Regular Season Finale

NORMAN – -/RV Oklahoma men's basketball concludes the regular season at RV/- Texas on Saturday, March 9. Tip is at 1:05 p.m. CT inside Moody Center. The Big 12 conference contest 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 and be broadcast by ESPN with Roxy Bernstein (PxP) and Chris Spatola (analyst) on the call.

-/RV Oklahoma vs. RV/- Texas
Date: Saturday, March 9
Tip Time: 1:05 p.m.
Location: Austin, Texas
Arena: Moody Center

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Game Notes

OPENING TIP

• Oklahoma is ranked 41st (games through 3/6) overall and ninth in the Big 12 in the NET. Ten Big 12 teams are in the top 45. Texas is 28th overall and sixth in the conference.

•  Junior Javian McCollum ranks sixth among active career leaders in free throw percentage (90.1%). In 80 career games, McCollum has made 219 free throws in 243 attempts. Senior Sam Godwin is 14th among NCAA DI active career leaders in field goal percentage, making 63.3% (264-417) of his shots.

•  McCollum needs 15 points to reach 1,000 NCAA DI career points. The Fort Myers, Fla., product scored 590 points in two seasons at Siena and tallied 395 points this season.

•  Oklahoma is 17-3 this season when scoring 70 or more points and 16-2 when holding its opponents to 70 points or less.

•  With Oklahoma's victory over Cincinnati, it reached 20 wins in the regular season for the first time since the 2015-16 campaign. The 2016 Final Four squad posted a 24-5 regular season mark. Porter Moser has guided six teams to 20-plus wins in his career. Moser's last team to reach the 20-win plateau advanced to the 2021 Sweet 16.

•  In addition to reaching 20 wins in the regular season, OU claimed its 14th home victory of the season against the Bearcats, reaching 14 wins in Norman for the first time since the 2015-16 slate.

LAST TIME OUT

• -/RV Oklahoma men's basketball earned a 74-71 overtime victory against Cincinnati inside Lloyd Noble Center behind stellar play by its seniors on Senior Night, completing the season sweep of the Bearcats. Senior Le'Tre Darthard scored a team-high 18 points and finished 12 for 14 from the free throw line. Darthard buried a 3-pointer with under 20 seconds left to put the Sooners up one in regulation. Fellow senior Rivaldo Soares added 16 points on 5-for-7 shooting and nearly tallied a double-double, finishing with a team-best nine rebounds.

• Senior Sam Godwin opened the overtime frame with a dunk and UC's Jizzle James responded with a jumper. Darthard made one free throw on OU's next possession, giving the Sooners a one-point edge before a jumper by Day Day Thomas swung the momentum back to the Bearcats. Sophomore Otega Oweh scored the final field goal of the contest with 1:54 left before Darthard iced the game at the line with two more free throws. UC's final 3-point attempt by Lukosius missed and Darthard corralled the defensive rebound.

• Junior Jalon Moore finished with 16 points and added seven rebounds and three assists. Senior Maks Klanjscek scored seven points and finished 5 for 5 from the free throw line.

CHASING RECORDS

• Junior Javian McCollum has made 94.3% (82-87) of his free throw attempts this season, ranking first ahead of Hollis Price's 92.9% set in 2003. Senior Sam Godwin has made 60.3% (70-116) of his shots, ranking sixth in program history for a single season.

• After missing his first free throw attempt at Kansas State (Jan. 30) with 5:39 left in the first half, McCollum buried his next nine tries and finished 9 for 10 from the charity stripe. The Fort Myers, Fla., product has rattled off 39 consecutive free throws over a nine-game stretch, eclipsing the previous program record for most consecutive free throws made by Nate Carter (37 in 2007). Carter topped the previous record of 36 set by Hollis Price during the 2002-03 season. Colorado's Corey Higgins set the Big 12 record (45) during the 2008-09 campaign.

KENPOM RANKINGS (3/7)

• The Sooners are fifth in three-point percentage defense (29.3%), 25th in adjusted defensive efficiency (98.0) and 26th in effective field goal percentage (46.8%). Senior Sam Godwin ranks first in NCAA DI in offensive rebounding percentage (20.3%). Among role players (16-20% of possessions used), senior Rivaldo Soares ranks 23rd in two-point field goal percentage (68.8%).

SENIORS SHOWIN' OUT

• Over the last two home games against No. 1/1 Houston and Cincinnati, seniors Le'Tre Darthard and Rivaldo Soares are averaging 16.5 and 16.0 points per outing, respectively.

• Soares shot 71.4% (10-14) from the field, 55.6% (5-9) from behind the arc and 87.5% (7-8) from the line. The Boston, Mass., product added 11 rebounds, including a team-high nine against Cincy. Darthard shot 50.0% (7-14) from the field, 63.6% (7-11) from deep and 85.7% (12-14) from the line. The Denton, Texas product corralled the final rebound against the Bearcats.

UP NEXT

Oklahoma heads to Kansas City for the 2024 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship inside T-Mobile Center March 12-16.