NORMAN — The offenses for both Oklahoma and Ole Miss were on fire in the first half on Saturday. The Sooners shot 50% from the floor, while Ole Miss made nine 3-pointers on 60% shooting from beyond the arc. Despite that, the Sooners managed to hold a two-point lead at halftime. However, after the break, both teams tightened up their play.

But one player stood out as the key difference for the Sooners — Xzayvier Brown. The junior guard scored 19 points in the second half, shooting 7/9 from the floor. He accounted for 44% of the Sooners’ points after halftime. Brown finished with a team-high 23 points on 8/11 shooting, leading the Sooners to an 86-70 victory over Ole Miss at Lloyd Noble Center to open SEC play.

Brown’s performance continued his impressive streak entering conference play. Over the last four non-conference games, he averaged nearly 21 points on 61% shooting from the floor. With his performance against the Rebels, Brown proved he can be a reliable scorer for the Sooners as the competition increases.

The Sooners improved to 11-3 and 1-0 in SEC play with the win. Here are some key notes from the game:

Notes

• Despite Ole Miss’ 3-point flurry in the first half, the Sooners’ defense played a crucial role in the win. The Rebels shot just 42% from the floor in the first half and had a scoring drought that lasted over seven minutes. In the second half, the Sooners held the Rebels to 29 points on 34% shooting from the floor.

• Mohammed Wague did two critical things for the Sooners: He stayed out of foul trouble and was crucial on the glass. The big man finished with a 10-point, 15-rebound double-double, adding three blocks, three assists, and a steal. Wague was vital in giving the Sooners a halftime lead, as he had seven points and 11 rebounds in the first half. Wague committed just two fouls in 30 minutes.

• Kuol Atak was again a spark plug for the Sooners off the bench. He scored 14 points on 5/10 shooting, including 4/9 from the 3-point line. His scoring was critical, especially to start the second half. Atak made back-to-back 3-pointers early in the second half to push the Sooners’ lead to eight. The Sooners never led by fewer than three points after that burst.

• New signee Kirill Elatontsev checked into the game at the 14:55 mark of the first half, with Porter Moser giving the big man an early chance at critical rotation minutes. Elatontsev went scoreless and grabbed one rebound in six minutes. True freshman Kai Rogers played just two minutes. That left Wague to play most of the minutes at center.

• Despite being officially available, sophomore guard Dayton Forsythe did not play. Forsythe has missed three consecutive games since suffering an ankle injury. Without Forsythe, the Sooners mostly stuck to a seven-man rotation, with Jadon Jones (27 minutes) and Atak (22 minutes) as the two main reserves. Jones finished with three points, four rebounds, two steals, and two blocks.

• While the Sooners made enough plays offensively, the free throw shooting will likely be a key point of emphasis moving forward. The Sooners made just 13/19 from the charity stripe, while the Rebels made 14/20.

• Next up: At Mississippi State on Wednesday (6 p.m. on SECN).

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