Kuol Atak scored 18 points — all in the second half — to lead Oklahoma to a season-opening 102-66 win over Saint Francis on Monday in Norman, Okla.
The Sooners trailed early in the second half before starting a 32-3 run to put the game away.
Atak scored 13 of his points during a span of just more than four minutes to end the big run, finishing up a 20-0 stretch with a second-chance 3-pointer after his own miss, then ending it on an emphatic dunk.
He finished 7 of 11 from the floor as Oklahoma shot 55.7% from the floor and hit 11 3-pointers.
Xzayvier Brown, Nijel Pack, Mohamed Wague each scored 16 points in the win. Wague added 10 rebounds and three blocks while Brown had six assists and three steals.
Tae Davis added 14 points in the victory.
Skylar Wicks led Saint Francis with 20 points while Zion Russell added 15 in Luke McConnell’s first game as the Red Flash’s head coach.
The Sooners scored 10 of their points during the decisive run off Saint Francis turnovers and despite forcing just three more turnovers than the Red Flash (14 to 11), Oklahoma outscored them off turnovers 22-8. The Sooners had 23 assists on 39 field goals.
Oklahoma built an eight-point lead less than seven minutes into the game, but Saint Francis quickly closed the gap with an 11-3 run, tying it on Russell’s steal and quick bucket with nine minutes left.
The game was tight the rest of the half, with the Sooners taking a 45-44 lead into the break.
Both teams were hot from the floor early, with Oklahoma shooting 52.9% from the floor in the first half while the Red Flash were 50% from the floor.
Saint Francis jumped ahead by scoring the first five points of the second half, the first coming on Chris Moncrief’s steal that eventually led to Wicks’ layup, then on Gestin Liberis’ 3-pointer.
The Sooners then began their push to take control.
The Red Flash were just 7 of 26 from the floor in the second half and 1 of 7 from beyond the arc. Oklahoma outshot Saint Francis 55.7% to 40.9% for the game.
–Field Level Media
