NORMAN, Okla. -- A 14-0 run in the opening minutes of the second half spurred Oklahoma to an 85-67 win over UTSA men's basketball in the season opener for both teams, on Tuesday night at the Lloyd Noble Center.
UTSA (0-1) and Oklahoma (1-0) went into halftime locked in a 36-36 game – including a 24-15 UTSA lead in rebounding – but the Sooners ripped off a 14-0 run to take their largest lead of the game, holding off the Roadrunners for the season-lidlifting win.
The Roadrunners were led by the junior guard duo of Jhivvan Jackson and Keaton Wallace. Jackson had his second career double-double, going for 24 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. Wallace, a native of Dallas, Texas, finished with 17 points, nine rebounds and four assists in 35 minutes.
UTSA played 12 of 13 players in the game, with senior forward Byron Frohnen making his 101st consecutive start. Freshmen Erik Czumbel, Jacob Germany, Austin Timperman, Makani Whiteside, and juniors Luka Barisic and Knox Hellums made their collegiate debuts.
The Sooners got strong outings from freshmen guards Austin Reaves and De'Vion Harmon, who each chipped in 23 points.
The Roadrunners were limited to 34 percent from the field on 25 of 74 shooting in the game, while the Sooners shot 48 percent. UTSA was 5 of 29 from 3-point land and finished the game locked at 44-44 in rebounds with OU. The Sooners owned a 34-15 advantage in points in transition, a 21-17 mark in points off the bench and a 38-30 advantage in points in the paint.
UTSA will return to action with the Sunshine Classic, in Kissimmee, Fla., on Friday, taking on Southern Illinois at 6:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on FLOhoops.tv and on the Roadrunners Sports Network, with Jay Howard calling the action.
The Roadrunners jumped out to an 8-4 lead after the first four minutes, getting a pair of jumpers from Wallace, a runner in the lane from Jackson for an early advantage. A nifty basket in the paint from Rodriguez and a trio of free throws from Jackson put UTSA up 13-10 with 11:23 left in the first. Oklahoma took its first lead of the game with a 6-0 run to take a 21-18 margin into the third media break of the period, getting baskets from junior Brady Manek and Harmon.
A five-turnover stretch over three minutes led OU to a seven-point lead but UTSA answered on the strength of a pair of runners from Frohnen in the paint. A quick 4-0 run from Wallace even the game at 36 at the half. The Roadrunners shot 42.4 percent in the first half, despite a 2-of-13 mark from 3-point land.
After UTSA opened the scoring in the first half on a basket from Jackson, Oklahoma spurted off on a 10-0 run to take a 44-38 lead and force a timeout. The Sooners used jumpers from Austin Reaves and Manek to take the run to 14-0 and earn a double-digit lead. The Sooners stretched the run to 21-5 over the first 5:23 of the second half to take a 57-43 lead with 13:07 left.
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