Oklahoma-Missouri Postgame Notes

March 16, 2003

Quotes

2003 Big 12 All-Tournament Team
MOP-Hollis Price-Oklahoma (two-time)

Quannas White-Oklahoma

Andre Emmett-Texas Tech

Arthur Johnson-Missouri

Rickey Paulding-Missouri

OU won its ninth-straight Big 12 Tournament game and clinched its third consecutive Big 12 Tournament title. Only Kansas has put together a longer winning streak in Big 12 Tournament history. The Jayhawks won 10 consecutive Big 12 Tournament games, winning three conference tournament games to claim titles in 1997, 1998 and 1999 and winning the first game of the 2000 season.

OU earns the Big 12 Conference's automatic berth in the 2003 NCAA men's basketball tournament, assuring the Sooners of their ninth consecutive NCAA appearance. Kelvin Sampson will be participating in his 10th straight NCAA Tournament as a head coach.

OU won its seventh conference tournament title in nine championship game appearances. The seven titles ties Kansas for the most in the league. Each school has three Big 12 titles. OU is 3-2 in Big 12 tourney appearances, winning titles in 2001, 2002 and 2003. The Sooners were 4-3 in Big Eight tourney championship games, winning in 1990, 1988, 1985 and 1979.

OU improves to 15-4 in Big 12 Tournament and has won 11 of its last 12 league tournament contests.

Oklahoma is the only Big 12 school to win the conference football and men's basketball championship in the same academic year and the Sooners have done it twice. The Sooners won the 2000 Big 12 football title and the 2001 Big 12 men's basketball crown. They also won the 2002 conference football title.

OU has won 13 of its last 15 games over the last two-plus postseasons, including nine straight Big 12 tourney victories.

During their stretch of nine-straight Big 12 Tournament victories, the Sooners have won their games by an average of 8.4 points.

Oklahoma's two-point victory today was the closest in a Big 12 Tournament final. The average margin of victory in the seven Big 12 Championship games is 12.7 points.

OU landed two players on the all-tournament team, giving them a league-best 10 selections to pass Kansas' eight selections.

Today marked the second time the No. 3 and No. 5 seeds have in met in the Big 12 Tournament title game. No. 3 Kansas defeated No. 5 Oklahoma State in the 1999 Big 12 Tournament Championship. OU's victory marks the third time the No. 3 seed has won the Big 12 Tournament. The previous No. 3 seeds who won were Kansas in 1999 and Oklahoma in 2001.

Seven of this year's 11 Big 12 Tournament games have been decided by 10 or less points, which is the most in a single Big 12 Tournament. There were six games decided by 10 points or less in the 2001 tournament. Of the 77 Big 12 Tournament games, 35 have been decided by 10 or less points (.455). The total combined margin of victory for this year's 11 games was 97 points--an average of 8.8 points per game. That margin of victory is the closest combined average in tourney history.

All-Time Big 12 Tournament Margin of Victory

Year Total Points 11-game average

1997 141 12.8

1998 117 10.6

1999 136 12.4

2000 201 18.3

2001 108 9.8

2002 168 15.3

2003 97 8.8

OU has won 24 of its last 28 games against Big 12 opponents.

Oklahoma has won 10 of its last 11 meetings vs. Missouri. MU snapped OU's nine-game streak vs. the Tigers with a 67-52 victory in Columbia in the only meeting between the two teams this year. OU is 8-5 vs. Missouri in conference tournament play and 4-1 in the Big 12 Tournament.

OU owns an 18-14 advantage vs. Missouri in neutral site contests. Kelvin Sampson is 5-2 vs. Missouri in neutral sites.

OU has shot a combined 45.6 percent (110-of-241) from three-point range over the last 13 games.

OU is undefeated in five games at American Airlines Center. OU defeated Illinois-Chicago and Xavier in the first- and second-rounds of the 2002 NCAA Tournament. The Sooners defeated Colorado, Texas Tech and Missouri to claim this year's Big 12 Tournament.

OU made eight three-pointers today and has hit at least eight three-point goals in four of its last five games.

Oklahoma led the entire game today. Missouri closed the margin to 48-47 at the 1:26 mark in the second half. Over its last six games, OU has trailed for just 4:09 of the last 245 minutes its played.

Nine of OU's first 18 points of the game were off six MU turnovers.

OU built its largest lead of the first half, 37-16, by outscoring MU 14-2 in the final five minutes of the first half. The run included 4-of-5 three-point shooting by Oklahoma. OU is 21-2 when leading at the half.

Missouri did not go to the line in the first half becoming the ninth team in tournament history not to make any free throws in a half and the fifth team that did not attempt any.

OU's bench outscored MU 13-0 in the first half.

OU and MU each had three personal fouls in the first half, which ties the tournament record for least fouls in a half. It's fifth time in tournament history its happened.

OU De'Angelo Alexander's free throws at the 8:49 mark halted Missouri's 11-0 second-half run. With the run, the Tigers closed OU's margin to 11 points (46-35), which was the closest the Tigers had been since being down 25-16 at the 5:01 mark in the first half. Oklahoma's last field goal came at the 15:05 mark of the second half, which gave the Sooners their largest lead of the game, 46-24. From that point, OU scored just three free throws.

OU's 12 points in the second half were the least points scored in a half in Big 12 Tournament history. The previous low was 14 by Oklahoma in the first half of the 2001 final vs. Texas.

OU committed only three first-half turnovers, but turned the ball over seven times in the second half.

OU forced 13 Missouri turnovers, while the Tigers registered eight steals. Only five of Oklahoma's 30 opponents this year have recorded more assists than turnovers.

Missouri outrebounded the Sooners, 33-31. OU is 6-4 when it tied for the game's rebound lead or was outrebounded.

Senior Hollis Price, the tournament's most outstanding player, rebounded from yesterday's 0-of-6 three-point effort to hit 4-of-7 three-pointers today. Price has shot at least 50 percent from three-point range in seven of his last nine games. Price was named the Big 12 Tournament MOP for the second straight year. He's earned Big 12 Tournament honors three of his four years.

OU Hollis Price picked up his 107th win in an OU uniform. He tied Darryl "Choo" Kennedy (1984-87) for the school record for most victories by an individual player. Oklahoma has won 107 of the 132 (.811) games in which Price has played.

With his team-high 14 points, senior Hollis Price has led OU in scoring in nine straight games and in 11 of OU's last 12 outings. He's scored in double digits in 29 of 30 games this season. Price moved into seventh place on the OU career scoring list with 1,790 points. He was a perfect 10-of-10 at the free-throw line during the 2003 Big 12 Tournament and has made 15 straight free throws overall. Price is OU's career free-throw percentage leader. He's the Big 12 Conference's leader in free-throw percentage (.934) this season.

OU guard Quannas White was 10-of-14 from three-point range over three Big 12 Tournament games. His 71.4 percentage led the 2003 Big 12 Tournament. White has made 34 of his last 55 three-point attempts over his last 13 games.

Arthur Johnson scored six of Missouri's nine field goals during a 12:37 minute run in the second half that cut Oklahoma's lead to six (48-42, 4:14). He was scoreless through the remainder of the game.

Johnson's 21 points and 11 rebounds mark his 17th double-double of the season.

Johnson's 10 field goals were a tournament high for any Missouri player. He had six against Nebraska and Oklahoma State. Johnson led the Tigers in scoring averaging 15.7 ppg.

Johnson extended his Big 12 Tournament blocks record to 12. He now has a school record 193.

Missouri's first free throw attempt came at the 5:43 mark in the second half.

The Tigers were 1-2 from the free throw line, a tournament and season low in both free throws made and attempts.

Missouri scored 11points off seven Oklahoma turnovers in the second half after scoring zero off three OU turnovers in the first half.

Quin Snyder is 1-7 against Oklahoma.

The 22-point deficit in the second half was the most Missouri trailed any team during the tournament. Nebraska led Missouri by 18 in the Tigers' tournament opener.

Oklahoma held Missouri to its lowest point total of the season (47). The Tigers previous low was 55 at Iowa State (3-5-03). OU also held the Tigers to their lowest point total of any half during the tournament (18, first half). The Tigers went 6:03 in the first half without a field goal.

This is the first game the Tigers have lost when shooting a better FG% than their opponent (19-1 record), and 6-1 when holding opponents to 50 points or less.

Rickey Paulding was held to single-digit scoring (nine points) for only the second time this season (31 games). Going into the game, he had been leading the Tigers in the tournament with a 16.6 average. It's the first time in 16 games that Paulding hasn't reached double-digits.

Paulding's 58 field goal attempts is a Big 12 Tournament record. He broke Andre Emmett's day-old record of 56.

Travon Bryant was held to a tournament low five points after scoring a career-high 18 against Kansas. He averaged 9.2 ppg in the tournament.

Ricky Clemons was 5-24 (20.8%) in three-point shooting during the tournament, including 1-8 vs. Kansas and 1-6 vs. Oklahoma State. During the regular season, Clemons shot 36.4% (81-222).

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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