Sooners Host Baylor as Big 12 Race Tightens

NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma hasn't lost to Baylor in more than 27 years. The Sooners will need that streak to continue if they are to remain in contention for the Big 12 title.

The 22nd-ranked Sooners look to make it 22 straight wins over the last-place Bears when the teams meet at the Lloyd Noble Center on Saturday.

Oklahoma (20-6, 9-4) is third in the Big 12, one game behind Oklahoma State and Kansas. The Cowboys and Jayhawks meet on Sunday in Lawrence, meaning Oklahoma would be tied for second-place with two games remaining if it beats Baylor (9-15, 1-12).

Sooners coach Kelvin Sampson doesn't want his team to concern itself with the Big 12 race.

``You just play it out. Everybody goes through it,'' he said. ``We had a three-game losing steak and now Kansas is on one. If O-State loses Sunday they're going to be on a two-game losing streak. Nobody's oblivious to it. It's important to always hang in there and never give in or give up, just keep playing.''

This will be the final home game for Oklahoma, 13-1 in Norman this season with the lone loss coming against Texas Tech on Feb. 5. That defeat snapped a 14-game home win streak for the Sooners, winners of 64 of their last 69 at the Lloyd Noble Center.

A home matchup with Baylor should be the perfect way for Oklahoma to say goodbye to seniors Johnnie Gilbert and Jaison Williams.

The Sooners have won 21 straight overall against the Bears since Dec. 6, 1977, and are 8-0 in the series at home. Sampson is 19-0 against Baylor as Oklahoma coach, with his teams winning by an average of 17.0 points per game.

Baylor has lost 10 straight since beating Colorado on Jan. 19 for its only Big 12 win. The Bears are the nation's most inexperienced team with a roster that includes nine underclassmen.

``The thing I like about Baylor is they just go play,'' Sampson said. ``They're not real deep, but they play everybody tough. The other night (at Kansas State) it was 60-58 with four minutes to go. They lose by seven at Missouri. They just play everybody tough. We've got to come to play.''

Behind offense from a pair of unexpected sources, Oklahoma handed Kansas its third straight loss 71-63 on Monday.

Terrell Everett scored 19 points, freshman David Godbold added a career-high 15 and Johnnie Gilbert matched a personal best with 12, as the Sooners reached 20 wins for the eighth straight season.

Everett's production wasn't a surprise, but Godbold entered the game averaging only 3.4 points per game, while Gilbert, a reserve, was averaging just 2.4 points.

``We're not a one-trick pony,'' Sampson said. ``We don't need Taj (Gray) and Kevin (Bookout) to get double-doubles for us to win. We've got different ways we can win games.''

Baylor's 10th straight loss was an 80-69 defeat at Kansas State on Wednesday. The skid is the Bears' longest since they ended the 1998-99 season with 17 consecutive losses.

Freshman Aaron Bruce has been one of the few bright spot in a difficult season for Baylor. The Australian point guard ranks third in the Big 12 with 17.8 points per game, and is the highest scoring freshman in the nation.

Baylor has lost all six games this season against ranked opponents and 16 in a row overall.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Sooners Host Baylor as Big 12 Race Tightens

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