Sooners End Four Game Skid in Morgantown, 72-62

A huge win for Porter Moser’s Sooners tonight in Morgantown as the Sooners pretty much led wire to wire to grab a 72-62 road win.

Not to be overly dramatic, but I pretty much had this as a ‘Season on the Brink’ type of game for the Sooners if they want to go dancing in March Madness.

OU came into this game as losers of four straight Big 12 games. This was one of those Bob Knight situations kid you not. I think seven Big 12 teams get into the Tournament, but on this night in Morgantown OU had to have a gut check road win and they got it.

EJ Harkless didn’t start the game and only played four minutes. If EJ didn’t understand the message being sent by Coach Moser…I’ll translate on the blog:

“EJ, please step up. Your teammates need you. The way you’ve played the past few games is not going to cut it. If you can’t play at a higher level…then both Jacob Grove and Marvin Johnson will absorb your minutes.”

And that’s exactly what Coach Moser did tonight in Morgantown. EJ was benched. Jacob Groves started and played his best game as a Sooner. Marvin Johnson the senior transfer from Eastern Illinois absorbed the still injured Ethan Chargois minutes.

Both of these guys rose to the occasion and along with Moj Gibson, Tanner Grove, and Jalen Hill all get helmet stickers.

OU improves to 13-7 overall and 3-5 in Big 12 conference games.

You see… this wasn’t tanking. This was this team giving everything they had to win a road game and put their dream of playing in March Madness back on track.

This was real human competition…. not that contrived scripted bullshit we’ve seen two years in a row in Bricktown.

You compete. You put your competitive soul on the line in public and expose it for all to see.

Why do think Mike Boynton was crying with his players when he found out about the NCAA ban imposed this spring?

He was crying because he knew how much this hurt his players’ competitive souls.

That’s why.

Next up…OU heads to Auburn to play the No. 1 ranked Auburn Tigers in Big 12-SEC Challenge. This will mean in the last six games OU will have played defending national champion Baylor twice, top three Kansas, top 15 Texas, and now No. 1 ranked Auburn with the potential National Player of the Year in Jabari Smith.

I’ll feature Jabari on my blog tomorrow in preparation of the game on Saturday which will of course be played in a standing room only arena against the No. 1 ranked Auburn Tigers.

OU could get their ass kicked, but I assure you they won’t be tanking.

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