OU Beats Athletes First In Exhibition Action Inside Field House

Nov. 5, 2001

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KelvinSampson, EbiEre and HollisPrice

NORMAN, Okla. - In its first exhibition game of the new season, the University of Oklahoma men's basketball team defeated Athletes First Monday night at the Howard McCasland OU Field House, 86-78. OU was balanced offensively as four players scored in double figures, led by junior Hollis Price's 20 points, and the Sooners held off a late run by the visitors to preserve the win. The victory was Oklahoma's 27th win in its last 28 exhibition contests and marked the first time the Sooners played at the Field House since the 1974-75 season.

Oklahoma got off to a quick start, building a 15-point lead in the first half. Senior Aaron McGhee kick-started the OU offense, knocking down all three of his three-point field goal attempts and scoring 16 points in the first half. McGhee was also a force on the glass in the opening stanza, helping OU grab 14 offensive rebounds to just two for Athletes First.

Ebi Ere, in his first game as a Sooner after starring for two seasons at Barton County (Kan.) Community College, scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds. The Preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year added three assists, two steals and two blocked shots in 34 minutes of play. Also in his first game at Oklahoma, point guard Quannas White contributed 10 points and dished out five assists.

"I thought that Athletes First gave us a good test tonight," said OU head coach Kelvin Sampson. "They've got a lot of good talent on that team including Tony Heard and Eric Martin. You certainly have to give them credit but we can play better. Our team did some good things but it's November 5 and we played just about how we should. We're going to get a lot better and the good thing is that we have a few days to practice on some things so we can continue to get better."

Senior forward Daryan Selvy was just 3-for-13 from the field on the night, but scored nine points and grabbed nine rebounds. Jozsef Szendrei provided a much-needed spark off the bench, grabbing 10 rebounds in just 19 minutes of play and providing a presence in the post.

Oklahoma shot just .391 from the field, however a 21-8 edge on the offensive glass gave the Sooners numerous second chances to score. OU took advantage of those opportunities by outscoring Athletes First 40-26 in the paint.

Athletes First was paced by Alonzo Richmond, who led all scorers with 21 points. Tony Heard, formerly a Tulsa University star who signed with OU out of high school before attending junior college, added 20 points. Athletes First got to within five points of Oklahoma with nearly two minutes to play, however the Sooners tightened up defensively and made their free throws down the stretch to seal the win.

"I'm kind of disappointed," said Price "but that's what watching film is for. We can correct a lot of things in practice and get better for Friday's game. We have a good offense and guys just have to make shots. Ebi (Ere) and Quannas (White) are good scorers, but it goes back to defense. If we can't get stops, we won't make it far in the tournament and that's our goal for this season."

Oklahoma resumes exhibition play on Friday night, hosting the EA Sports All-Stars at the newly renovated Lloyd Noble Center. The Sooners were 26-7 and won the Big 12 Tournament Championship a year ago, and open their regular season slate on Nov. 12 versus Central Connecticut in the Preseason NIT.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

OU Beats Athletes First In Exhibition Action Inside Field House

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