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NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -- It'd been awhile since Kristian Doolittle was Oklahoma's top offensive option.
The Sooners needed it Saturday and Doolittle delivered, scoring 27 points and grabbing 12 rebounds as Oklahoma knocked off No. 13 West Virginia 69-59 at home Saturday.
Doolittle hadn't scored in double figures in three weeks but it didn't take him long to get going on the offensive end against the Mountaineers.
Early on, it was at the free-throw line as the Sooners fought to hang in the game even as West Virginia dominated the boards early.
But then Oklahoma's lone senior really got going.
In a 17-2 first-half run that lifted the Sooners from a deficit to a 10-point lead in a six-minute span, Doolittle scored eight points.
He hit two 3-pointers in that stretch, his first makes from behind the arc since Jan. 14.
"People weren't guarding me," Doolittle said.
"It got to a point where it's like, 'I might as well shoot.' Then when you start making them, they have to game plan you a lot differently.
"It makes the game a whole lot easier when you're a threat from deep."
The senior played a role in helping break West Virginia's press, regularly bringing the ball upcourt.
The Mountaineers have been known for their pressure defense since Bob Huggins arrived but this year it hasn't been as big of a part of their defensive plan.
"We are not very good at it or we would do it more," Huggins said.
Doolittle said his confidence was elevated from the start.
"If I was open, just shoot it regardless if I was going to make it or miss it," he said.
"Just to have a next-shot mentality. I feel like that was in my head the past few games but (with) the confidence that the coaching staff and my teammates instilled in me, I was able to come out here with a fresh mind."
With Doolittle in a funk, Oklahoma had leaned heavily on Brady Manek on the offensive end.
Manek had a rough go of it against West Virginia, shooting just 1 of 6 from inside the 3-point line to finish with 11 points.
For the second consecutive game, Huggins wasn't happy with his team's performance.
Wednesday against Iowa State, it was the Mountaineers' poor free-throw shooting that irked Huggins.
Against Oklahoma, it was his team's inability to finish at the rim.
West Virginia was just 11 of 31 on layups in the loss.
"Seems impossible, but we missed 22 shots within two feet of the basket," Huggins said.
West Virginia shot a season-worst 31.6% from the field. Before hitting five consecutive 3-pointers to end the game, the Mountaineers were 1 of 10 from beyond the arc.
BIG PICTURE
Oklahoma: While the Sooners' NCAA Tournament resume was solid but not spectacular heading into the game, they were in desperate need of a signature win. Oklahoma is in the midst of a stretch where they play six of eight games against teams either ranked or one spot out of the poll. The win was the first for the Sooners against a ranked opponent this season.
West Virginia: The Mountaineers dropped to 1-3 on the road in Big 12 play. West Virginia remains solidly in the NCAA Tournament field but they're entering a rough week on the schedule, with No. 1 Baylor on the road after a midweek home game against No. 3 Kansas.
STAT LINES
West Virginia came into the game No. 4 nationally in rebounding margin, leading the Big 12 and averaging more than nine more rebounds per game than its opponents.
Oklahoma was No. 264 in the country and next-to-last in the league in the category.
West Virginia dominated the boards early, outrebounding the Sooners 14-7 in the first 9:35 of the game.
But after that, Oklahoma turned things around, outrebounding the Mountaineers 35-27 the rest of the way to beat West Virginia on the glass, 42-41.
It was just the fourth time this season West Virginia had been outrebounded.
UP NEXT
West Virginia hosts No. 3 Kansas on Wednesday. The Jayhawks beat the Mountaineers, 60-53, on Jan. 4 in both teams' Big 12 opener. West Virginia is 5-1 against Kansas at home since 2014.
Oklahoma hosts Iowa State on Wednesday. The Sooners fell 81-68 at the Cyclones on Jan. 11. Oklahoma hasn't beaten the Cyclones since 2018.
No. 1 BAYLOR 78
OKLAHOMA ST. 70
WACO, Texas (AP) -- MaCio Teague scored 24 points to lead five players in double figures for No. 1 Baylor, which stretched its winning streak to 20 games.
NO. 3 KANSAS 60 TCU 46
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- Udoka Azubuike had 20 points and 15 rebounds, and 3 Kansas matched an NCAA record with its 31st consecutive 20-win season, beating day for coach Bill Self's 700th career victory.
Azubuike had five dunks in a 13-3 run in the first half that put the Jayhawks (20-3, 9-1 Big 12) ahead to stay.
NO. 5 LOUISVILLE 80, VIRGINIA 73
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Steven Enoch scored 13 points, including two key free throws with 2:47 remaining, and Louisville earned its 10th consecutive victory.
NO. 6 DAYTON 71 SAINT LOUIS 65
DAYTON, Ohio (AP) -- Obi Toppin scored 17 points and Jalen Crutcher led a second-half rally that kept Dayton unbeaten atop the Atlantic 10.
NO. 7 DUKE 98
N.CAROLINA 96, OT
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) -- Freshman Wendell Moore scored on a putback as time expired to help Duke rally for the wild victory.
Moore's follow of Tre Jones' missed off-balance jumper finally ended this one, a game that saw Duke rally from 13 down in the final 4¢ minutes of regulation. Jones forced overtime, hitting a contested jumper at the regulation horn after corralling his own intentionally missed free throw.
NO. 8 FLA. STATE 99 MIAMI 81
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- M.J. Walker and Patrick Williams each scored 14 points to lead Florida State to the victory.
NO. 12 SETON HALL 70 NO. 10 VILLANOVA 64
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Myles Powell had 19 points, Sandro Mamukelashvili scored 12 of his 17 points in the second half, and Seton Hall snapped a 17-game road losing streak to Villanova.
NO. 11 AUBURN 91 NO. 18 LSU 90, OT
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) -- J'Von McCormick hit a floater with 0.1 seconds left in overtime, lifting Auburn to the victory.
NO. 15 KENTUCKY 77, TENNESSEE 64
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Immanuel Quickley scored 18 points, and Kentucky won for the sixth time in seven games.
MICHIGAN 77
NO. 16 MICH. ST. 68
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) -- Isaiah Livers scored 14 points in his return to the lineup, leading Michigan to the victory.
NO. 17 IOWA 96
NEBRASKA 72
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) -- Joe Wieskamp scored a career-high 30 points and Luka Garza added 22, helping Iowa bounce back from its worst loss of the season.
NO. 21 CREIGHTON 94, ST. JOHN'S 82
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- Marcus Zegarowski scored 23 points to lead six Creighton players in double figures.
NO. 22 PENN ST. 83 MINNESOTA 77
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- Lamar Stevens scored a career-high 33 points, powering Penn State to its sixth straight win.
NO. 24 COLORADO 81, STANFORD 74
BOULDER, Colorado (AP) -- McKinley Wright IV scored 21 points, and Colorado overcame a cold start and a 16-point second-half deficit on their way to the win.