Atak scores 18 in debut, Oklahoma rolls past St. Francis 102-66

8 hours ago7 min read

Man, if you turned the game off at halftime, you missed the whole show. The Oklahoma Sooners, a team that basically hit the reset button after losing all five starters from last year's NCAA Tournament squad, looked like they were in for a nail-biter, clinging to a measly one-point lead, 45-44, over St.Francis. Then the second half happened, and it was like someone flipped a switch from 'preseason scrimmage' to 'video game cheat code.' Welcome to Division I basketball, Kuol Atak. The dude came off the bench and immediately started cooking, dropping a team-high 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting in his debut.It wasn't just him, though; it was a full-on party. Xzayvier Brown, Nijel Pack, and Mohamed Wague all decided to chip in 16 points each, with each of them shooting 50% or better from the field.Talk about sharing the wealth. And let's not forget Tae Davis adding a cool 14 points to the pile.But the real story was the absolute eruption that sealed the deal. With about 14 minutes left on the clock and the lead at a still-precarious five points, the Sooners went on a 20-0 run that was just pure, unadulterated chaos for St.Francis. In just over four minutes of game time—a blink of an eye in basketball terms—they stretched that lead to 25, completely demoralizing their opponent and cruising to a 102-66 final that had the scoreboard looking like a typo.Wague wasn't just scoring; he was cleaning the glass with 10 rebounds, and Jeff Nwankwo was right there with nine, showing this new-look team has some serious hustle. The stats tell the tale of two halves: Oklahoma finished the night shooting an efficient 55.7% from the field and 36. 7% from deep, while their defense clamped down, holding St.Francis to 40. 9% and a paltry 29.4% from three-point land. With only two players, Wague and Dayton Forsythe (who had 6 points), returning from last year's stat sheet, this was a statement game.It was the basketball equivalent of a mic drop, announcing that despite the massive roster turnover, the Sooners aren't here to rebuild; they're here to run. It's one game, sure, but for a fanbase wondering what was left in the tank, this second-half blitz was a pretty epic answer.

#lead focus news

#Oklahoma Sooners

#St. Francis

#Kuol Atak

#college basketball

#season opener

#blowout win

#second half run