3 takeaways: OU men's basketball lets double-digit lead slip away in loss to No. 2 Kansas
LAWRENCE, Kan. — The Sooners had history in their grasp.
Only five minutes and change stood between OU and its first road win over Kansas since 1993. The Sooners held a 10-point lead over the No. 2-ranked Jayhawks Tuesday, but that lead quickly evaporated.
Kansas made a late rally, and the decibel level at Allen Fieldhouse reached its peak when Kevin McCullar sank an and-one layup to give his team the lead in the final minute.
OU never got back in front, and it suffered a 79-75 loss. The Sooners (10-6, 1-3 Big 12) now shift their focus to a home game against West Virginia at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Here are three takeaways from the loss:
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Sam Godwin makes a name for himself in Lawrence
As Sam Godwin delivered a two-handed dunk in the opening moments of the first half, the public address announcer at Allen Fieldhouse delivered a monotone call.
“Sam Goodwin,” he said.
Goodwin.
The walk-on forward likely wasn’t high on the list of names to learn before tipoff, but that changed throughout the course of the contest.
Godwin erupted for 10 of OU’s first 19 points. He finished the night with season-highs of 12 points and 7 rebounds in just 15 minutes off the bench.
A Wofford transfer, Godwin didn’t enter this season as one of the more notable additions to OU’s roster. Despite that, he has established himself as a valuable weapon for the Sooners.
The Ada is a steady option down low and a relentless force on the glass. His production has been especially crucial during Big 12 play, where starting center Tanner Groves has recorded at least four fouls in each contest.
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Turnovers are the difference in the first half of OU vs. Kansas
OU held a 19-18 lead with 8:55 left in the first half when Groves got the ball stolen by McCullar.
That sparked a fastbreak for the Jayhawks, who eventually got the ball to Zach Clemence at the top of the arc.
A rumbling grew throughout Allen Fieldhouse as Clemence launched a 3-point attempt, and the home crowd erupted into a deafening frenzy as the ball found the bottom of the net.
In a first half that saw 12 lead changes, most momentum swings began with OU turnovers.
The Sooners turned the ball over seven times, and the Jayhawks converted those miscues into 11 points to take a 36-34 lead into halftime.
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OU fails to close out another Big 12 game
Kansas made more winning plays down the stretch of Tuesday’s contest.
The Jayhawks didn’t commit any turnovers in the final five minutes. They went 5-for-5 at the free throw line during that stretch. They held the Sooners to 1-for-8 shooting from the floor.
It’s a heartbreaking loss for the Sooners, whose three Big 12 losses have come by a combined eight points.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU men’s basketball: Sooners lose late lead in loss at Kansas Jayhawks
