Javian McCollum scored 20 points — 13 in the final four minutes — to help Oklahoma knock off No. 21 BYU 82-66 on Tuesday in Norman, Okla.
The Sooners (17-6, 5-5 Big 12) won for the second time in three games. The Cougars (16-6, 4-5 had a two-game winning streak snapped.
McCollum’s burst accounted for all but two of the Sooners’ final 15 points. Along the way, he hit all eight of his free-throw attempts. Oklahoma finished 23 of 29 from the line.
Milos Uzan added 16 points for the Sooners. He had struggled of late, averaging 6.5 points and shooting 29.4 percent over his last six games after averaging 9.2 points and shooting 41 percent over the first 16 games.
But Uzan was 6 of 12 from the field against BYU, including 4 of 6 inside the arc. He had four assists with one turnover.
It was a tight game most of the way, before the Sooners slowly but steadily started stretching the lead it grabbed on Jalon Moore’s 3-pointer with about 14 minutes remaining.
Moore was scoreless in the first half and didn’t even attempt a shot until nearly three minutes into the second half, but he finished with 11 points.
Rivaldo Soares added 12 points, his fourth consecutive game in double digits.
Fousseyni Traore, making his second consecutive start, led BYU with 21 points on 9-of-17 shooting but didn’t score a field goal in the final eight minutes. He is averaging 20.3 points over the last three games.
Dallin Hall added 17 points, going 4 for 7 beyond the arc, and Spencer Johnson scored 10 for BYU.
The Cougars led by six with 4:30 remaining in the first half before the Sooners went on a 9-3 run to tie the game at halftime. Uzan’s layup in the closing seconds tied it.
BYU finished 8 of 26 from behind the 3-point line, their third-fewest 3-pointers in a game this season.
BYU’s Aly Khalifa missed his second consecutive game due to illness.
–Field Level Media
The Connecticut Sun are looking to keep up in the race for the No. 2 seed in the WNBA playoffs when they play the host Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday…
Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray agreed to a four-year, $208 million maximum contract extension, his representation told ESPN on Saturday. The extension will begin in the 2025-26 season and…
The New York Liberty can move closer to clinching the top seed in the upcoming WNBA playoffs with a win, and/or losses by second- and third-place teams Minnesota and Connecticut,…
Nuggets, Jamal Murray agree to 4-year, $208M extension
Defensive-minded Liberty take on Aces
Dream carry momentum into ‘fight’ with Fever
Mystics look to continue playoff push vs. red-hot Lynx