No. 16 OU Plays at Mizzou at 12:30 PM

NORMAN, Okla. -- Turnovers and poor foul shooting are not a formula for success, and Oklahoma knows it.

The Sooners will try to improve in both areas and avoid a third consecutive Big 12 loss as they visit sinking Missouri on Saturday.

The No. 16 Sooners (17-5, 6-3) committed 15 turnovers and shot just 41.7 percent (5-for-12) from the free-throw line in Monday's 79-67 defeat to No. 10 Oklahoma State.

``Don't turn it over and make your free throws, and you're going to have a chance to win the game,'' Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson said. ``I felt like if we had done a better job in those two areas, we would have had a chance to win the game.''

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The Sooners, who also allowed Oklahoma State to shoot 57 percent (8-of-14) from 3-point range, have lost three of four since a 10-game winning streak.

Taj Gray and Kevin Bookout dominated inside in Oklahoma's 67-57 home win over Oklahoma State on Jan. 24, but the junior forwards were neutralized by Joey Graham and Ivan McFarlin on Monday. The 6-foot-8, 259-pound Bookout finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds for his fifth double-double in conference play, but was unhappy with the performance.

``We just didn't work hard to get open,'' Bookout said. ``Our guards gave us good passes. We just need to work hard and find spots in that man-to-man and be a load down under the basket.''

Bookout, who was 2-of-8 from the floor in his previous two games combined, is averaging 12.9 points and 6.9 rebounds. The 6-9, 235-pound Gray is averaging team highs of 15.6 points and 8.9 boards. Gray also is averaging 2.2 blocks to lead the Big 12.

Missouri (10-13, 2-7) has lost five straight and eight of nine after a 74-71 defeat at UNLV on Wednesday night. Linas Kleiza scored 24 points and Thomas Gardner, starting again for the first time in 14 games, added a career-high 23 for the Tigers, who lost for the first time in 10 games this season when leading at halftime.

Oklahoma vs. Missouri Game Notes

Missouri shot just 33.3 percent (11-of-33) in the second half and was outrebounded 41-33 for the game.

Kleiza, a 6-8 Lithuanian, came off the bench in Missouri's previous three games. The sophomore forward is averaging teams highs of 15.3 points and 7.0 rebounds.

Tigers coach Quin Snyder, who never had a losing streak this long in five prior seasons at Missouri, has used seven starting lineups this season.

Oklahoma has won 10 of the last 12 meetings with Missouri, but in the last matchup the Tigers posted a 79-75 win in Norman on Jan. 17, 2004. Oklahoma leads the series 109-90, but is just 29-56 at Columbia.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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