Kuol Atak Ignites Oklahoma in Blowout Win Over Mississippi Valley State
NORMAN - For the first 10 minutes Monday night, Oklahoma looked like a team still shaking off the holiday rust. Facing Mississippi Valley State - statistically the nation’s worst team - the Sooners stumbled out of the gate, briefly trailing multiple times in the opening stretch. But once Kuol Atak got going, there was no looking back.
The redshirt freshman forward delivered a breakout performance, dropping a career-high 24 points to spark Oklahoma to a 93-69 rout in its nonconference finale at Lloyd Noble Center. Atak was electric from the jump, pouring in 19 of his points in the first half and hitting his first seven shots - including a perfect 5-for-5 from beyond the arc - to keep the Sooners afloat while the rest of the offense searched for rhythm.
Atak’s hot hand couldn’t have come at a better time. With Oklahoma’s offense sputtering early, his confidence and shot-making gave the Sooners the jolt they needed. While his teammates opened the game shooting just 6-of-15 from the field, Atak was lights-out, carrying the scoring load and setting the tone.
By the time the halftime buzzer sounded, Oklahoma had built a nine-point lead. And once the rest of the rotation caught up, the game turned into a runaway. The Sooners stretched their lead to as many as 27 points in the second half, locking in on both ends and letting their depth take over.
Atak finished the night 9-of-14 from the field and 6-of-10 from deep, a performance that not only showcased his shooting range but also his poise under pressure. He wasn’t alone in the scoring column, though.
Xzayvier Brown had a season-best showing of his own, dropping 22 points with a mix of aggressive drives and timely jumpers. Nijel Pack added 13, Tae Davis chipped in 10, and Oklahoma had four players in double figures.
The Sooners also got their first look at Kirill Elatontsev, the Russian big man making his college debut. He contributed six points and four rebounds in limited minutes, showing flashes of the size and activity that could help Oklahoma in SEC play. Jadon Jones added eight points and Derrion Reid contributed seven in a balanced offensive effort.
With the win, Oklahoma closes out nonconference play on a four-game win streak and heads into SEC action with a 10-3 record. The real test begins Saturday, when the Sooners host Ole Miss in their conference opener - but if Atak can keep up this level of play and the supporting cast continues to click, Oklahoma might be hitting its stride at just the right time.