Zhuric Phelps sank a go-ahead 3-pointer with 19.6 seconds left to cap a career-high 34-point outburst, leading No. 10 Texas A&M to an 80-78 comeback win over No. 17 Oklahoma on Wednesday in Norman, Okla.
Texas A&M overcame an 18-point second-half deficit and a huge night from Oklahoma’s Brycen Goodine, who scored a season-high 34 points and hit 9 of 11 3-point attempts.
Solomon Washington scored 11 points and Pharrel Payne added 10 points for the Aggies (13-2, 2-0 Southeastern Conference).
Texas A&M, playing without injured leading scorer Wade Taylor IV (15.7 ppg), still won its ninth consecutive game.
Jeremiah Fears scored 13 points and Jalon Moore chipped in 11 points for the Sooners (13-2, 0-2), who absorbed their second loss in a row.
Oklahoma took a 78-77 lead on a layup by Sam Godwin with 1:05 left. After the Sooners’ defense held, Fears corralled a rebound and was fouled. However, the freshman point guard missed the front end of a one-and-one, setting up Phelps for his top-of-the-key step-back winning 3-pointer.
With 18 forced turnovers, the Aggies were able to get back into the game. They went on an 18-2 run after the midpoint of the second half as Phelps started to get hot from long range. He cut the gap to 70-67 on his second of consecutive 3-pointers with 7:11 left in the game.
Washington soared in for a thunderous two-hand slam and a 71-70 Aggies lead with 5:10 to go. It was Texas A&M’s first lead since 6-5.
Oklahoma committed six turnovers during the Texas A&M scoring burst and went scoreless for 3:58 before Fears hit a pair of free throws to give the hosts a 72-71 edge.
Texas A&M’s Jace Carter then sparked a 6-0 run with a 3-pointer, and the Aggies took a 77-72 lead with 2:49 to go.
A 14-2 first-half Sooners run was led by the hot-shooting Goodine. He knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers as Oklahoma took an 11-6 lead. He caught an outlet pass in the corner to beat the Aggies’ press and connected on another 3-pointer as Oklahoma led 16-8.
With 11:04 left in the first half, Goodine’s fifth 3-pointer put Oklahoma up 25-13. His sixth trey in the first half put the Sooners up 30-16.
A layup by Manny Obaseki capped the first-half scoring and sliced the Aggies’ deficit to 39-30.
–Field Level Media
