NORMAN, Okla. — Jalon Moore made a significant impact in the second half, contributing 19 of his career-high matching 23 points, as Oklahoma surged ahead to secure a 73-57 victory over Northwestern State on Monday night. Jeremiah Fears also had a notable performance, scoring 15 points while adding four steals for the Sooners. Other contributions came from Dayton transfer Kobe Elvis, who scored 10 points, and Sam Godwin, who recorded eight points alongside 10 rebounds, helping Oklahoma to improve their record to 2-0.

Micah Thomas was a standout for Northwestern State, leading the team with 20 points, while Addison Patterson followed with 16 points. Willie Williams also made his presence felt with a double-double, scoring 11 points and securing 10 rebounds.

The game saw a surge from Moore, a 6-foot-4 freshman guard who previously ranked among the top recruits in the 2025 class before reclassifying. He and Elvis initiated a turnaround with successful free throws, and Fears took it a step further by completing an and-1 play that gave the Sooners a one-point edge with 14 minutes remaining. After Patterson tied the game with a tip-in, Moore responded with a 3-pointer, followed by a layup and another three to fuel a 19-4 run, putting Oklahoma up 51-44 less than five minutes later.

Moore’s impressive performance continued with a three-point play followed by two more free throws, extending Oklahoma’s lead to 11 points with just five minutes left on the clock. Glenn Taylor Jr. contributed to the scoring with a layup, and he later added a 3-pointer with 3:47 remaining. From that point onward, Northwestern State was unable to close the gap, trailing by double digits for the remainder of the game.