Lon Kruger's Sooners knew that the West Virginia Mountaineers were going to give everything they had when they came to Norman, Oklahoma, on Saturday. The Mountaineers, fresh off a dominant victory over #1 Kansas, were trying to score wins over #1 and #2 in CBB in the same week. Oklahoma wanted to reach #1 in the nation for the first time since the 1989-90 season. OU knew they would have to withstand a powerful storm.

Even though the waves were rough and the ship rocked back and forth, Oklahoma weathered the pressure-filled tempest. With the game tied at 68, Jordan Woodard missed a short jumper, but Khadeem Lattin immediately followed up the shot with a tip-in, winning the thriller for the Sooners.

Hield Needs Help To Hold Off WVU

Buddy Hield, the current favorite for the Wooden Award, had a great game for his Sooners, drilling 4 three-pointers. His very presence on the court made the West Virginia defense off-kilter at times. However, as the Mountaineers answered every OU run, Hield needed some help. He got a very balanced effort from the Sooners.

Ryan Spangler struggled with his shot once again, but he did make a difference down low. The powerful senior garnered a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds. He was given a stiff task defending against the West Virginia frontcourt, but he performed admirably.

Jordan Woodard was not particularly on fire with his shot (no one was, actually), but he did make some key plays in the final 10 minutes to keep the Sooners moving. A Woodard trey with 9:11 left in the 2nd half capped a 9-0 run that changed the course of the game for the Sooners. Another smooth Woodard basket around the 2 minute mark was critical as WVU and OU traded buckets. Surprisingly, Woodard was the player with the ball in his hands in the final 30 seconds instead of Buddy Hield. Woodard used some moxy around the bucket, but his shot rimmed off. His effort was not in vain, as Lattin punched the ball right back up and down through the nylon.

WVU Does Well Trading Blows, But Foul Trouble Knocks 'Eers Out

For the most part, West Virginia answered every single Oklahoma run, and the Mountaineers even held a slight lead for some time. They used true grit in the frontcourt, an area WVU dominated. Whether it was via a layup, hook, or simple jumper, West Virginia tussled with OU in the paint with authority.

Jaysean Paige, the one truly consistent force in the backcourt for West Virginia in Big 12 play so far, once again led the way with 18 points. He and Jevon Carter combined for 6 steals, keeping the Sooners on their toes.

However, an old habit came back with a vengeance. The Mountaineers had been eliminating their problem with silly fouls, but the flaw in their system came back in this game, rearing its ugly head. Although the 'Press Virginia' system had some special moments in this game, many players got a little too jumpy and committed some poor fouls. One example was when star big man Devin Williams thwacked Ryan Spangler in an OU transition to offense. Williams was overly aggressive in a situation that he needed to be calm. Spangler waltzed to the charity stripe and drilled two freebies. Williams, Paige, and Jonathan Holton, the lifeblood of 2015-16 WVU basketball, all ended up in deep foul trouble.

Because of the West Virginia foul trouble, bench players played hefty minutes. Elijah Macon performed admirably in Devin Williams's stead, scoring 9 points. Tarik Phillip also added a burst of energy, although he did commit 4 nasty turnovers.

West Virginia showed incredible determination in preventing the game from turning into a blowout in OU's favor, and they had a chance to force the Sooners into overtime at the end. But despite their best effort, the out-of-control nature of their play came back to bite WVU in the end.

Oklahoma Team To Beat In The Big 12, And The Nation

We forgave this team for losing to Kansas the moment the final buzzer rang in their triple-overtime thriller last Monday. All that game did was show how good of a team Oklahoma was.

After this week, and their huge win over feisty West Virginia, there is no doubt that Oklahoma is team to beat in the Big 12. They will be going into each of their remaining Big 12 games as the favorite, including their home matchup against Kansas on February 13th.

This is a team that has many pieces. We already know they can rip a team apart with outside shooting, as they showed today in flashes. But today, we were reminded that OU can bruise and batter when they need to. With X-factors like Ryan Spangler, Khadeem Lattin, Dante Buford, Oklahoma can get down and dirty to win ball games. Their determination will carry them forward.

Oklahoma never gets a night off in the wild Big 12. But we know that the opponents they face will confront 40 minutes of sheer hell. A hell made of Crimson and Cream.

Next Up

West Virginia, which will undoubtedly move up into the top 10 nationally after their impressive week, will head back to Morgantown to tussle with Texas, a team that the Mountaineers have struggled with since joining the Big 12. Oklahoma will play their first game as #1 at Iowa State, where the Cyclones will try to use some Hilton Magic to bring down the Sooners.