OU’s Unbelievable Collapse: Sooners Blow 5-Point Lead in Final 24 Seconds Against LSU
NORMAN, Okla. – A stunning 24 seconds that no Oklahoma basketball fan will forget anytime soon—and for all the wrong reasons. What looked like a solid home win turned into an absolute nightmare as OU fumbled away a 79-74 lead, falling 82-79 to LSU at the Lloyd Noble Center on Saturday night.
This was more than just a loss. It was a collapse of monumental proportions. The Sooners failed to execute in crunch time, allowing the Tigers to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
The Final 24 Seconds: A Nightmare Unfolds
Coming out of a timeout, OU needed to play smart, fundamental basketball. Instead, they allowed a disastrous four-point play, cutting their lead to just one. Then, disaster struck again. Jalon Moore, caught in the corner, turned the ball over, and LSU converted the mistake into an and-1 opportunity to take an 81-79 lead with eight seconds left.
With the game on the line, freshman Jeremiah Fears raced down the court, looking for a game-saving shot. But his contested jumper in the lane missed. Game. Set. Match.
How did this happen? How did OU, in control for most of the night, lose in such stunning fashion?
A Second-Half Collapse Overshadows Strong Effort
It didn’t matter that LSU missed 13 free throws or that OU built multiple 13-point leads in the second half. The Tigers’ 11 made three-pointers proved to be a great equalizer.
To OU’s credit, they responded well when LSU took a 63-59 lead with under seven minutes to play. The Sooners clawed back, and Moore’s free throws to push the lead to 79-74 should have been enough to seal the game.
But on this night, they weren’t.
Tough Questions for Porter Moser
With OU now 16-9 (3-9 in SEC play) and facing a brutal stretch of ranked opponents, the pressure on head coach Porter Moser is mounting. How does this team move forward? How does Moser right the ship?
Moser didn’t hold back in his postgame comments:
“We were up five… we’re in what’s called a ‘no jump situation.’ No matter what, we’re not jumping, not contesting the shot. And he jumped. We fouled four three-point shooters. That’s just mental.”
On the final disastrous possession:
“We had one timeout. We literally went over what we call our bypass shooter against the press. Flash Jalon, cut, cut, cut. We got the ball inbounds, then three guys just stood. Jalon got trapped. Duke (Miles), Fears, and Dayton (Forsythe) were almost on top of each other. We didn’t cut, we didn’t move.”
Moser took responsibility for the team’s disorganization but also stressed the importance of execution:
“For us being disorganized? That’s on me. We talked about it the last two days. But we also have to have leadership and understanding down the stretch. We froze.”
What’s Next for the Sooners?
The road ahead is brutal. OU now faces five straight ranked opponents, starting with a road trip to Florida on Tuesday. The Gators are one of the best teams in the country and a projected No. 1 seed.
Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. Can the Sooners recover from this disaster? Or will this loss linger and derail their season completely? Time will tell, but Saturday’s meltdown won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
