Oklahoma
NORMAN, Okla. (11/08/2026) — The Oklahoma Sooners opened their home slate with an 81-72 victory over the North Alabama Lions at Lloyd Noble Center on Sunday, riding a punishing 17-0 second-half run to turn a one-point deficit into a commanding advantage before 4,390 fans.
How It Happened
The first half delivered exactly the kind of competitive back-and-forth that early-season matchups promise. Pop Isaacs set the tone immediately, drilling a 23-foot three-pointer 46 seconds into the game to put Oklahoma on top. The Sooners extended the advantage to 12 — capped by a 26-foot Isaacs three and a 24-foot jumper from Dayton Forsythe — before North Alabama answered with purpose.
Jacobe Whitted provided the Lions' spark, connecting on consecutive three-pointers from 23 and 24 feet to drag North Alabama back to 22-20. The rally gained full momentum when Mike Evbagharu tied it at 25-25 with a 22-footer at the 6:35 mark, shifting the energy in the building.
The Lions then seized their first lead of the night when Caden Harris drained a 24-foot three with 1:07 remaining, pushing North Alabama to a 36-35 edge. Xzayvier Brown converted two free throws in the final seconds to restore Oklahoma's lead and send both teams to the break at 37-36.
Turning Point
North Alabama wasted no time reclaiming the advantage to start the second half — Evbagharu drove the lane and finished a layup just 19 seconds in to put the Lions up 38-37. What followed was the sequence that defined the outcome.
Derrion Reid answered immediately with a layup off a Brown assist, then followed with a 24-foot three-pointer off a Pop Isaacs feed to push Oklahoma to 42-38. Isaacs then stepped back and buried a 24-foot three of his own to make it 47-38, and B.J. Edwards capped the surge with a 24-foot step-back three to extend the lead to 52-38. The 17-0 Oklahoma run — stretching from a 39-38 edge to a 54-39 advantage — transformed a one-possession contest into a 15-point separation with 15 minutes to play. North Alabama never recovered.
Evbagharu kept the Lions fighting with a 24-foot three at the 12:14 mark that trimmed the deficit to 11 at 58-47, and Ansar Osman followed with a 23-footer to cut it to nine at 59-50. Brown responded with a 26-foot three to push Oklahoma back to 62-50, and the Sooners controlled the margin from there.
Star of the Game
Mike Evbagharu turned in the game's finest individual performance, tallying a game-high 27 points and 8 rebounds for the Lions. The forward attacked the Oklahoma defense from multiple levels — converting at the rim, drilling mid-range looks, and stepping out to knock down a critical three-pointer in the second half. His output kept North Alabama within striking distance for most of the night and represented a genuine challenge for an Oklahoma interior that otherwise held firm.
For the Sooners, Xzayvier Brown paced four double-figure scorers with 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists, hitting three three-pointers and stabilizing Oklahoma through several North Alabama runs. B.J. Edwards supplied 17 points with consistent shot-making, while Pop Isaacs contributed 13 points, 6 rebounds, and a game-high 4 assists.
What It Means
Oklahoma's performance revealed a balanced, well-distributed offense — four players in double figures, 15 assists, and only 6 turnovers on the night. The Sooners controlled the most critical stretches through ball movement and perimeter execution, shooting 43% from the field while limiting their own self-inflicted damage.
For North Alabama, the final score obscures a genuinely competitive showing. The Lions out-shot Oklahoma from the field (48% to 43%), and Evbagharu demonstrated he can produce at a high level against major-conference opposition. The difference came down to ball security: North Alabama's 13 turnovers against Oklahoma's 6 gave the Sooners additional possessions at crucial moments, and when the Lions surrendered momentum in the opening minutes of the second half, the deficit proved too steep to erase.
