SoonerScoop Sights & Sounds: OU 84, OSU 82 OT final

Where were you when OU guard Javian McCollum hit the shot? You never know when attending a game that you’re about to witness history.

Like Dillon Gabriel finding Nic Anderson after the Walter Rouse double block vs. Texas last October. Add McCollum’s installment of Sooner Magic into OU lore defeating Bedlam rival Oklahoma State.

A broken play, because of the OSU defense, McCollum just resorted to what he knows he can do. And what he did was make history in draining the 3-pointer as time expired for the 84-82 overtime victory.

“The time before they came out in a zone, so we had two actions to do that,” head coach Porter Moser said. “We didn’t know if they were going to be in a zone. They came out in man, and we were—earlier in the overtime, we ran an action where we just cleared the left slot and had Javian go down the slot. So, we ran the same action.

“He’s an elite free-throw shooter. He’s our best shot-maker. I thought they guarded it well. They leveled him off. They wouldn’t let him—that’s hard to do with Javian, because he’s so quick. Then Javian made a great shot. I think that’s—we had two actions ready: one zone and one man. The man one, we got him to the rim the time before, and that’s who we wanted the ball with at the end of the half. In practices, all year, he has that ability to make tough shots. That was a very tough shot. It was a great play by Javian to cap an amazing game.”

The initial Bedlam was a slog, to put it nicely. A 66-62 victory only OU fans could enjoy and some of them couldn’t even do that.

From that point two weeks ago, OSU went 2-0 and OU went 0-2. OSU head coach Mike Boynton never wanted a game more.

OU, perhaps, never needed a game more.

All the elements combined into something memorable in Stillwater on Saturday.

“Hell of a college basketball game,” Boynton said. “I’ve been associated with this sport since 2000, when I first got to college, and been a part of a few games that had all the elements of sort of a classic, so to speak. That one certainly ranks up there, and it’s really unfortunate for our guys and our fans who showed up here in a tremendous way and we came up short. …

“[I wanted this] about as much as I wanted any game that I’ve ever played in or coached in. And again because it could be [the last Bedlam]. I hope not. Maybe not. If it is, I certainly didn’t want to lose it. I understand the gravity of the game and the series, what it means to everybody in the state, and I’m certainly disappointed for our fans that we didn’t … one more stop would have been the difference.”

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— SoonerScoop.com (@SoonerScoop) February 24, 2024

Heroic efforts across the board by the Sooners. Jalon Moore and Sam Godwin on the glass. Rivaldo Soares showing a warrior spirit, returning from the ankle injury. Milos Uzan taking contact all afternoon and delivering. Otega Oweh coming back to life in the second half and overtime. Luke Northweather with his best all-around performance and biggest 3-pointer of his young career. Team effort.

And McCollum, after missing his first seven 3-pointers, hitting his last two. The final one that can never ever ben taken away from him.

“I mean, I think this is the one because just to be with a great group of guys like these — these are my brothers — and just get a win like that, especially for the state of Oklahoma, I mean, it’s huge,” McCollum said.

The Bedlam Sights & Sounds from SoonerScoop videographer Eddie Radosevich.