OU basketball rewind: What can Sooners learn from two one-possession losses in Big 12 play?
NORMAN — As Porter Moser rubbed his forehead in frustration, one word echoed in his mind.
"Inches."
OU had just suffered a 63-60 loss to No. 25-ranked Iowa State Wednesday. It marked the second straight one-possession loss for the Sooners (9-5, 0-2 Big 12), who began conference play with a 70-69 loss to No. 6 Texas on Saturday.
Moser was referencing a scene from the movie Any Given Sunday that involved Al Pacino, whose character delivered a speech to his football team before a big game.
"Life is a game of inches," Pacino's character said. "The margin for error is so small... The inches we need are everywhere around us."
More: OU men's basketball falls to Iowa State for second straight one-possession loss
Those inches have eluded OU, which is set to face Texas Tech on the road at 6 p.m. Saturday.
The missed inch in OU's loss to Texas was a series of missed defensive rebounds down the stretch. The Longhorns recorded 11 offensive boards in the second half and converted them into 10 second-chance points.
No second-chance bucket was bigger than the one delivered by Timmy Allen in the closing moments.
Tied at 60 with 1:35 left in the game, OU failed to box out the senior Longhorn. Allen went untouched as he gathered an offensive board following a missed jumper by Marcus Carr, and he then sank an easy putback layup.
"The difference was the offensive rebounds," Moser said after the game. "The 50-50 balls and offensive rebounds... Under a minute, Timmy Allen came flying in and got an offensive rebound. That was huge. We've got to come up with that rebound."
Some people pointed to a no-call as a missed inch in OU's loss to Iowa State.
The Sooners held a 29-27 lead with 1:31 left in the first half when a corner 3-pointer by Gabe Kalscheur hit a metal pole directly behind the top-left corner of the backboard and bounced back into play. No whistles sounded, and Iowa State secured an offensive rebound before tying the game with a layup by Jaren Holmes.
The no-call cost OU two points in what proved to be a one-possession loss, but Moser didn't point to it as a missed inch after the game.
“It happens," Moser said. "Just one of those breaks... I stay up all night figuring out things, that’ll be one of the last things I point to. I’m going to look at the things I could’ve controlled.”
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In reality, the missed inches in OU's loss to Iowa State were defensive breakdowns and turnovers.
One defensive breakdown came with 55.5 seconds left. Tied at 56, Iowa State's Tamin Lipsey rolled off a ball screen and drove to the rim. Sophomore guard Bijan Cortes went under the screen and didn't switch, which allowed Lipsey to make a layup.
A costly turnover then came with 7.5 seconds remaining.
OU trailed 62-60 when Cortes tried to inbound a ball to Jalen Hill under the rim. Hill got a hand on the ball in traffic but couldn't control it, and it went out of bounds.
"We tried to get a post up, and I just didn't catch it," Hill said. "I've got to come down with the ball, find a way to get the ball and just get a bucket at that point or get fouled. That's all on me."
OU will be focused on the inches when it faces Texas Tech Saturday.
The Sooners must take care of the ball on offense. They're averaging 12.6 turnovers per game, and the Red Raiders rank 22nd in the nation in opponent turnover percentage (23.6%).
OU must also watch its foul count. Texas Tech gets 20% of its points from the free throw line, which is the 92nd-highest percentage in the nation, and players such as Tanner Groves and Sam Godwin are prone to foul trouble.
Those are just a few keys for the Sooners, who know that no detail is too small.
"That's what we've got to keep pushing for, that inch," Moser said. "We've got to keep pushing."
OU basketball's top two players
Senior guard Grant Sherfield: Sherfield is averaging a team-high 17.3 points, but he had his quietest outing of the season in OU's loss to Iowa State. The Nevada transfer got held to a season-low 4 points on 1-for-7 shooting from the floor (0-for-3 from deep). The Cyclones contained Sherfield by denying him the ball and bringing constant double teams. Sherfield should expect that kind of coverage for the rest of Big 12 play, and OU will need him to find ways to produce.
Senior forward Jacob Groves: Jacob Groves is playing his best basketball as of late. The senior forward is averaging a career-high 9.9 points per game, and he has established himself as a true stretch big. After shooting a career-low 30.7 percent from 3-point range last season, Groves is shooting a career-high 42.3% in that department this season. Groves is shooting the ball with as much confidence as anyone on the team, and he'll be leaned on during conference play as Sherfield continues to receive extra attention.
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OU men's basketball player on the rise
Sophomore guard Bijan Cortes: Cortes provided a spark off the bench against Iowa State. The Kingfisher native stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and a block in a season-high 28 minutes. After falling out of the rotation during last season's Big 12 tournament due to his lack of experience and consistency on defense, Cortes has made an impact on both ends of the floor this season. OU is in need of a ball handler off the bench now that Milos Uzan is starting, and Cortes is the top candidate for that role.
Stat to know for Sooners
OU's perimeter defense will be tested Saturday.
The Sooners have held their opponents to 28% shooting from deep this season, which ranks 15th in the nation. However, it's worth noting that only one team OU has faced is ranked in the top 100 for 3-point shooting percentage.
That team is Sam Houston State. The Bearkats are ranked 11th in the country (39.2%), and they earned a 52-51 win over the Sooners on Nov. 7.
Texas Tech presents a challenge for OU. The Red Raiders are shooting 37.5% from distance this season, which ranks 37th in the nation, and they'll look to test just how good the Sooners' perimeter defense is.
Tip-ins
• Moser on keeping his team motivated: "It’s got to start with me. If I look frustrated, they’re going to be... They’re hurt. But it’s my job and my staff’s job to walk into that locker room and infuse belief and energy. That’s what I’m going to do.”
• Hill on OU's two one-possession losses to start Big 12 play: "I just think we've got to learn how to win. There are 17 more games left... We've just got to keep getting better and keep our heads high."
• Moser on what Sherfield needs to do against extra coverage: "You’ve got to really work to get the ball... In those ball screens when he gets trapped, you’ve got to make them pay for trapping you. If it’s effective, if you’re getting bottled up, they’re going to keep doing it. So you’ve got to be effective. Get it out. Spray it... That’s what we’ve gotta do."
OU vs. Texas Tech
TIPOFF: 6 p.m. Saturday at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas (ESPN+)
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Can Oklahoma Sooners basketball rebound from two early Big 12 losses?
