W E E K LY E D I T I O N | D E C . 14 - 2 0 , 2 0 2 1 | O U D A I LY. C O M
OU releases contract details for new head coach · pg. 3
OUDAILY
The University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice since 1916
Sooners ‘hit back’ in upset win
RAY BAHNER/THE DAILY
Junior forward Jalen Hill holds the ball during the game against Butler University on Dec. 7.
OU coach Porter Moser credits defense with victory over Arkansas GRAYSON BLALOCK @grayson_blalock
TULSA — Senior forward Tanner Groves finished a dominant final 10-minute stretch with an emphatic dunk that gave Oklahoma an 84-60 lead and energized its fans, though noticeably outnumbered in the neutral-site crowd of 12,746, to their loudest volume of the afternoon. Just over 10 minutes prior, Arkansas guard Au’Diese Toney threw down a two-handed slam of his own that brought the Razorback faithful inside the BOK Center to their feet during the Dec. 11 game against the Sooners. Arkansas seemed poised to replicate Butler’s second-half comeback that helped fell OU in an overtime loss on Dec. 7. However, junior forward Jalen Hill hit two critical free throws shortly after Toney’s dunk to stop a 12-2 run that had drawn the Razorbacks within five points. Then, suffocating
defense, a Porter Moser trademark the Sooners’ coach has carried from his time at Loyola-Chicago, held the Razorbacks to two field goals over the following 11 minutes. The stingy containment led to a 17-0 sprint that cemented Oklahoma’s (8-2) 88-66 upset win over No. 12 Arkansas (9-1) in Tulsa. “They cut it to a couple points and we hit back,” Groves said. “We hit harder, and that’s what it’s all about.” Arkansas entered the game ranked No. 20 nationally in scoring offense, averaging 83.3 points per game. OU came into the game only allowing 60.9 points per game, ranked 46th nationally. On the back of their defense, the Sooners prevailed and upped their defensive efficiency to No. 26 in the KenPom 2022 basketball rankings. One game after Butler throttled OU on the glass 43-30, the Sooners outrebounded Arkansas 36-29 for their third-highest rebounding mark of the year. “I thought it started with our defense,” Moser said. “Obviously, making some shots, executing some things we wanted to do. I think a (big part) of that was rebounding.
“Jalen (Hill) and (Elijah Harkless) had some really good in-traffic rebounds. Those are the ones that are so valuable, and I thought Jalen did that. He had such a toughness to it.” It wasn’t just rebounding that propelled Oklahoma to its biggest win of the season. The Sooners’ lineup played a complete game. Each starter scored in the double digits, led by Harkless and Groves with 21 and 16, respectively. Harkless, a senior guard, had his first double-double of the season with 11 rebounds, and OU shot a blistering 59.1 percent from the 3-point line, blasting past its previous season-high 42.9 percent against Indiana State. The Sooners also set a new season high for 3-pointers made in a single game with 13. Perhaps the biggest shots of the game came amid Oklahoma’s 17-0 run that gave it a 78-57 lead. Hill, a junior forward, hit only his fifth 3-pointer of the season with six minutes and 38 seconds left. Thirty seconds later, Groves hit another 3-pointer, followed by him barely missing a heat-check 3-pointer and a turnover from redshirt senior guard Jordan Goldwire that caused Moser
to fall to the floor in apparent agony. Late-game shot selection plagued OU in its losses to Utah State and Butler, and after two quick shots, Moser took advantage of Arkansas’ timeout to ensure it wouldn’t happen again. “That’s what we talked about that whole (timeout),” Moser said. “We need good possessions. You don’t need daggers five seconds into (the shot clock). We talked about still being aggressive. If you have a layup, great. If not, circle it out — let’s get some long possessions. “The Tanner one is tough because he just hit one. The play after that is the one that I might’ve hit a wet spot on the floor.” Oklahoma forced two Arkansas misses after Goldwire’s turnover before Gibson hit a dagger 3-pointer that broke the Razorbacks. Down 11, Arkansas missed three shots in an 18-second span. After the third missed shot, players dove for the loose ball before it was ultimately ruled a jump ball, much to the frustration of Arkansas coach Eric Musselman. He was given two technicals immediately after the play, resulting in his ejection, and Goldwire
hit all four free throws, giving OU a 76-57 lead with three minutes and thirty seconds remaining in the second half. Groves’ rim-rattling jam delivered the finishing blow soon after. “That was the best college basketball atmosphere I’ve ever played in,” Groves said. “It was crazy. It was loud. Sooner fans were amazing. It was just so cool. It was so fun to experience an atmosphere that I’ve never played in, and it helped me bring way more energy. I was feeding off the crowd’s energy and it was amazing.” Even after OU passed its toughest test to date in nonconference play, Moser doesn’t feel his team has neared its ceiling as it looks ahead to UT Arlington and Alcorn State before Big 12 play. “It’s a continuation,” Moser said. “We’re not even close yet. We’ve got to continue to improve and get better., but I’m obsessed and intentional with the process of moving this team along.” graysonablalock@ou.edu
Employee vaccine mandate halted by court injuntion Requirement in flux after district judge blocks federal enforcement Kaly Phan @KPhsn
TREY YOUNG/THE DAILY
A medical worker draws a COVID-19 vaccination into a syringe before an OU vaccination clinic March 26.
OU Human Resources announced the university will no longer require employees to be vaccinated for COVID-19 by Jan. 4, 2022 in a Dec. 8 email. OU employees were previously required to receive a COVID-19 vaccine by Jan. 4, 2022, in compliance with the federal vaccine requirement for contractors. U.S. District Judge R. Stan Baker of Savannah, Georgia, temporarily blocked enforcement of the federal COVID-19 vaccine requirement for contractors Dec. 7 by
a nationwide preliminary injunction, effectively suspending the mandate. Vaccines are still required for limited groups of OU community members, according to the email, including any personnel who have volunteer obligations or responsibilities in a patient care setting, any person who wishes to participate in study abroad programs and OU Health Sciences Center employees. OU employees are also no longer required to request new exemptions or comply with exemption accommodations unless they are in one or more of the groups still required to get vaccinated, according to the email. Despite no formal requirement, OU still encourages its employees to fill out the online vaccine verification form as they get vaccinated. Starting Dec. 9, COVID-19
administrative leave, which was made available to assist compliance with the federal mandate, is also suspended and will be unavailable until further notice. Benefits-eligible employees will still be able to use administrative leave on Dec. 27 and 28 as authorized by OU President Joseph Harroz Jr., according to the email. Winter break administrative leave does not apply to College of Medicine physicians or credentialed providers to OU Health partners, according to the email. Employees who must sustain continuous patient care, teaching schedules and service-related functions may also find winter break administrative leave unavailable. kaly.n.phan@ou.edu