Feb. 17—It’s a conversion Oklahoma coach Porter Moser had with his team following last Saturday’s defeat against Kansas.

The Sooners had to figure out how to sustain, or withstand, scoring runs.

They opened the second half against Kansas really well, cutting a 13-point halftime deficit to six before the Jayhawks ran away with the game. Facing No. 12-ranked Kansas State on Wednesday, the Sooners entered halftime tied and needed a spark.

They found what they were looking for.

The Sooners opened the second half on a 12-2 run, taking a 10-point lead. The Wildcats never got closer than six points the rest of the way.

The result was a 79-65 win for the Sooners, snapping a seven-game skid in conference play and securing a muchneeded win against a ranked opponent.

“I thought the guys came out in the second half (and our) defense was really good,” Moser said. “They’re so hard to guard. They’re really tricky to guard. There’s a reason why they’re so good. I was proud of our guys at how we fought back after we got punched in the face.

“We’ve seen us get snowballed in recent games, and we didn’t (tonight).”

Here’s three takeaways from the Sooners bounce back win over the Wildcats: 1. Tanner Groves shakes off slump, leads Sooners on both ends Prior to the Kansas State matchup, it had been a rough four-game stretch for the veteran big man. Groves recorded per-game averages of seven points and five rebounds during that span.

Against the Wildcats, he stepped up. Groves was active on both ends, finishing with 16 points and 6 rebounds to go with 2 steals and a blocks. His scoring output tied his season high in a conference game.

It was the kind of performance that Groves, and the Sooners, simply needed.

“I thought he played with unbelievable passion,” Moser said. “He was everywhere. We were more aggressive trying to get him (touches). I wanted him to get more paint touches. He drew some fouls. He got in there.”

Groves wasn’t the only Sooner to provide a spark. Grant Sherfield scored a game-high 22 points to go with a teamhigh eight rebounds and six assists. Jalen Hill added 12 points and seven rebounds.

2. Sooners increase the tempo, shoot the lights out Under Moser, the Sooners have played one of the slowest paces in the nation.

This season, the Sooners rank 282nd nationally in possessions per game (68) and 207th in fast breaks per game (8.72).

It would’ve been hard to tell against the Wildcats.

The Sooners regularly pushed the pace and finished with a season-high 16 fastbreak points. The Jayhawks, by comparison, scored 11.

It also had a boost on the Sooners’ overall shooting performance. The Sooners shot 51 percent (25 of 49) and 48 percent (11 of 23) from the 3-point line.

In a game the Sooners won by 14, those fast break points played a big role.

3. Sooners win the turnover battle It’s been a nagging issue all season for the Sooners. Against the Wildcats, it was a strength.

The Sooners committed 11 turnovers, tying their fewest amount in a conference game, while forcing Kansas State into 14 turnovers. The Sooners also won 18-11 in points scored off of turnovers.

It was a bounce back effort for the Sooners, who committed a season-high 24 turnovers in last Saturday’s loss to Kansas.

Freshman guard Otega Oweh, who made his third start of the season, led the way with two steals. He leads the Sooners in steals this season with 26.

Up next: The Sooners head to Texas for a 1 p.m. tipoff. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.

The Longhorns won the first matchup, 70-69, in Norman.