Instant analysis: OU men's basketball loses thriller to Villanova in Big 12-Big East Battle

Grant Sherfield got his cleanest look of the day.

OU trailed by three points in the closing seconds of Saturday's game against Villanova when freshman guard Milos Uzan got the ball poked away from him. A scramble for possession ensued near halfcourt, and the ball ended up in the hands of Sherfield.

The senior guard then ran up to the 3-point line and hoisted a shot, but it clanked off the rim and bounced out.

Villanova secured the board and ultimately secured the 70-66 win in front of an ecstatic crowd at the Philadelphia 76ers' Wells Fargo Center. OU (6-2) snaps a six-game win streak with the loss, which is a part of the Big 12-Big East Battle.

Here are three takeaways from the loss:

OU’s hot perimeter shooting continues

Brandon Slater barely had enough time to get a hand up.

OU led 9-4 with 15:26 left in the first half when Sherfield swung a pass to Jacob Groves in the corner. Slater tried to close out on the senior forward, but Groves quickly launched a 3-pointer and watched it find the bottom of the net.

That marked the second deep bomb of the day by Groves, and Sherfield joined the festivities on the next possession.

This time it was the senior guard who was on the receiving end of a pass, and he confidently knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the arc to make it a 15-7 contest.

OU didn’t let up from deep all afternoon. It went 10-for-23 in that department (43%).

After only shooting 28.8% from deep in their first four games of the season, the Sooners have shot 47.1% since then.

Sooners have a go-to bucket getter

OU was in desperate need of a bucket.

The Sooners held a 20-16 lead with 6:59 left in the first half, although they were on a scoring drought of six minutes and 19 seconds. Villanova used the tough stretch to swing momentum in its favor, but Sherfield restored order.

Tanner Groves fed the ball to the veteran guard, who elevated for a 3-pointer and knocked it down despite being fouled by Villanova’s Mark Armstrong. Sherfield then completed the four-point play by sinking the free throw.

OU didn’t have a consistent go-to scorer last season. That role exchanged hands between players such as Umoja Gibson, Elijah Harkless and Tanner Groves depending on the night.

But Sherfield has been as steady as they come. The Nevada transfer finished with 21 points Saturday, and he’s now averaging a team-high 16.3 points this season.

Sherfield has scored double digit points in each of OU’s eight games so far this season. And even though he couldn't cash in on Saturday's game-tying shot, he has still provided a consistent scoring punch.

OU's defense falters down the stretch

Jalen Hill did all he could to contest the shot.

OU trailed 64-63 with 58 seconds left in the game when Villanova's Caleb Daniels caught a pass on the left wing. Hill came flying in, but he was too late.

Daniels sank the 3-pointer en route to a game-high 22 points to give the Wildcats (3-5) a four-point lead, and they ultimately escaped with a narrow victory.

OU was unable to get stops down the stretch, which was uncharacteristic. Prior to Saturday's contest, the Sooners were 2-1 this season in games decided by two possessions or less.

OU's defense led the way in those two wins, which came against South Alabama and Ole Miss. The Sooners held their opponents to a combined zero points on 0-for-9 shooting from the floor in the final three minutes of those contests.

But Saturday was a different story. Villanova went 2-for-3 from the floor and scored eight points in the final three minutes to secure the win.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU vs. Villanova men's basketball: Sooners lose thriller to Wildcats