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NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Grant Sherfield scored a season-high 30 points, and Oklahoma beat No. 2 Alabama 93-69 on Saturday in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
Jalen Hill added a career-high 26 points on 9-for-11 shooting, helping second-year Oklahoma coach Porter Moser to his biggest win with the program. Tanner Groves had 14 points and 12 rebounds.
The Sooners (12-9) had lost three straight, but there had been some signs of progress. They had three losses to Top 25 teams by four or fewer points in January.
Two years ago, Oklahoma beat then-No. 9 Alabama in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. The Sooners pulled off another upset by shooting 58% from the field and posting a season-high point total.
Rylan Griffen led Alabama with 15 points and seven rebounds. Freshman Brandon Miller, who came in averaging 19.5 points per game, finished with 11 on 4-for-14 shooting.
The Crimson Tide (18-3) had won nine in a row.
Oklahoma led 50-33 at halftime and it didn’t look like a fluke. Sherfield scored 18 points before the break and helped the Sooners shoot 68% from the field in the first 20 minutes. Hill added 13 points on 5-for-5 shooting. The half was punctuated by Hill scoring on a spin move in the closing seconds and Miller getting issued a technical foul.
Alabama trimmed its deficit to 11 in the second half, but Hill’s dunk on a fast break pushed Oklahoma’s lead back to 64-46 and got the crowd juiced up. Sherfield’s crossover and fadeaway 3-pointer put the Sooners ahead 78-53.
BIG PICTURE
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Alabama: The young Crimson Tide got sliced up by a team with veterans. The Crimson Tide lacked energy and never really challenged the Sooners. They made just 6 of 22 3-pointers and had just six assists.
Oklahoma: Sherfield had been in a slump, having made 10 of 34 field goals during Oklahoma’s three-game losing streak. He found his shot and found teammates, finishing with six assists to help create balance with the Sooners’ offense.
UP NEXT
Alabama: Hosts Vanderbilt on Tuesday.
Oklahoma: Hosts Oklahoma State on Thursday.
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