Sooner or Later, the Mighty Fall in Oklahoma

The message from Oklahoma has come through loud and clear: The Big Eight has three of the best basketball teams in the country.

Oklahoma defeated No. 1 Kansas, 100-78, Tuesday, two days after a convincing victory over then-No. 1 Missouri on Sunday. It was the 45th consecutive victory for the Sooners, 22-4 overall and 10-3 Big Eight, at the Lloyd Noble Center.

The victory also provided evidence for a national television audience that while Kansas and Missouri have drawn much of the attention this season, Oklahoma might have been equally deserving.

“I’ve said that all along,” Kansas coach Roy Williams said. “(Oklahoma) lost some tough games earlier, but they were on the road. It’s a different story when you’re playing at home.”

The Jayhawks (27-3, 10-3) found out in a painful manner. Oklahoma harassed the usually composed Jayhawks into 26 turnovers resulting in 37 points. The Sooners used a mix of full-court pressure and half-court zone traps that virtually paralyzed Kansas in the first half.

“We were totally clueless against their press,” Jayhawk Jeff Gueldner said.

Leading, 22-15, in the first half, the Sooners used their defensive pressure to trigger a 13-0 run.

Skeeter Henry, who led the Sooners with 23 points, scored eight points during the spurt, including two dunks. Rick Calloway finally silenced the crowd with a 10-foot jumper for Kansas, but the Sooners responded with a 6-0 run and led, 41-17, with 5:13 to play in the half.

In all, it was a stretch Williams seemed eager to forget.

“We stunk handling the ball, we stunk passing the ball, we stunk catching the ball,” Williams said. “We have to take better care of the basketball.

“It looked at times like a track meet to see how many times they could dunk the basketball. They just made us look silly at times.”

When the Jayhawks weren’t turning the ball over, they were frustrated by poor shooting. Kansas made only 29 of 64 shots overall.

The Sooners, meanwhile, successfully worked the ball inside to William Davis, who had 22 points, and shot from the perimeter, making 10 of 18 three-point shots.

“We tried every defense we had,” Williams said. “Needless to say, none of them worked.”

Davis, a 6-foot-6 senior, did not play in the first meeting between the teams for undisclosed reasons. But he responded this time by making eight of 13 shots and grabbing six rebounds.

“You bet we’re a better team with Davis,” Oklahoma Coach Billy Tubbs said.

The Sooners also got a boost off the bench from freshman Terry Evans, who scored 22 points and had five assists and five steals.

“He’s beginning to get the confidence back he had earlier in the year,” Tubbs said of Evans. “He did a great job of penetrating and dishing it off.”

Kevin Pritchard led Kansas with 16 points.