Jeremiah Fears delivered a standout performance for the Sooners, but former Oklahoma player Otega Oweh stole the show, scoring Kentucky’s final 18 points and finishing with 28, securing a dramatic victory for the Wildcats.
On Wednesday night, Oklahoma proved they weren’t backing down from a challenge. Fresh off an upset over No. 21 Mississippi State, the Sooners hosted No. 17 Kentucky at Lloyd Noble Center, taking the Wildcats to the wire in a high-energy showdown.
The contest ended in an 83-82 victory for Kentucky, with emotions running high on both sides. Oweh, who has been leading the Wildcats in scoring this season, carried his team down the stretch, including sinking the game-winner with just six seconds left.
As time expired, Fears made a last-second drive to the hoop, only for his shot to be blocked by Brandon Garrison and Oweh. A brief review delayed the official ending as officials checked for a potential technical foul before ultimately confirming the result.
“It’s always special to come back to a place you’ve played and walk away with a win,” Oweh remarked postgame.
The loss dropped Oklahoma’s record to 17-11 overall and 4-11 in SEC play, while Kentucky improved to 19-9 and 8-7 in the conference standings.
“I hurt for my guys,” Sooners coach Porter Moser said. “They fought so hard and came up just one point short.”
In what was Kentucky’s first visit to Norman, the game delivered all the intensity one would expect from an NCAA Tournament matchup. The Wildcats built a nine-point lead in the first half, while the Sooners led by five in the second. The lead changed hands multiple times in the closing minutes, making for an electrifying finish.
“This had all the makings of a first-round NCAA Tournament game,” said Kentucky head coach Mark Pope.
Following the game-sealing block, Kentucky players celebrated with their passionate traveling fan base. The game remained physical throughout, intensifying as the final minutes approached.
“It was just two teams battling,” Moser added. “Both were competitive, both wanted to win—it was high-level basketball in late February.”
Oweh was met with boos from the OU student section every time he had the ball but didn’t let it affect his performance. After a quiet first half, he erupted in the second, carrying the Wildcats with a dominant offensive display.
“I wasn’t sure what to expect from the crowd,” Oweh admitted. “But in the end, it was just about playing basketball.”
Oweh caught fire late, scoring on eight consecutive possessions, including several layups, two dunks, a three-pointer, and crucial free throws. His two foul shots at the 2:48 mark gave Kentucky a 77-75 lead.
Moser acknowledged Oweh’s impact, saying, “He was outstanding. He hit some huge shots.”
The game remained tight down the stretch. Fears tied it at 77 with a drive to the basket before Oweh responded with another bucket. Moments later, Glenn Taylor knocked down a three-pointer, giving Oklahoma an 80-79 edge with under two minutes left.
After Taylor’s next three-pointer missed, Kentucky called a timeout with just under a minute remaining. Out of the break, Oweh found himself open underneath and converted a layup to push UK ahead 81-80 with 45 seconds to play.
“We had a breakdown on a switch,” Moser noted.
The Sooners had a chance to reclaim the lead, and after a sluggish possession, Jalon Moore earned a trip to the free throw line with 20 seconds left. He made both, putting Oklahoma up by one.
But Kentucky had one final answer. Oweh once again stepped up, hitting the game-winning shot in the closing seconds to seal the Wildcats’ win.
Both teams shot well in the second half, with Oklahoma connecting on 58% of their attempts after the break. Kentucky started fast, but the Sooners stayed resilient, narrowing a once-sizeable first-half deficit to just two points at halftime, 43-41.
Neither team shot well from beyond the arc early, with OU missing its first seven attempts and Kentucky going just 1-for-6 from deep.
Oklahoma faced an early 17-8 deficit, but Moore single-handedly reignited the team. He scored eight consecutive points, including a pull-up jumper with a foul, the team’s first three-pointer, and a powerful dunk after a steal by Fears, forcing Kentucky to call timeout with 9:41 left in the first half.
Despite the loss, the Sooners remain in the NCAA Tournament conversation. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has them among the “Last Four Byes,” meaning they are still positioned to make the field.
Oklahoma’s schedule doesn’t get any easier, with a road game at Ole Miss on Saturday, followed by matchups against No. 14 Missouri and Texas to close out the regular season.
