OU Beats Baylor for 24th Straight Time

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) - Even after the game, Terrell Everett still wasn't done being unselfish.

Everett had 14 assists - more than any Oklahoma player in more than eight years - and Michael Neal set career highs with six 3-pointers and 18 points as the 20th-ranked Sooners beat Baylor 80-52 on Saturday.

Everett's assist total was the highest of his career and the most since Michael Johnson tied the Oklahoma record with 18 against North Texas on Dec. 22, 1997. Johnson shares the record with Jan Pannell, who had 18 against Oklahoma City in 1983.

But asked if the impressive assist total was special for him, he said, "Not really, man. I'm just trying to win."

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Everett's last assist was his most dramatic. Leading a fast break, he caromed the ball off the backboard to a trailing Taj Gray, who skied to slam the ball with two hands.

"He's a unique player and he kind of does what we need," Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson said. He added that he figured someone would ask him if he was concerned that Everett, who was 0-for-4 from the field, scored only two points. He said the answer would be no.

"You've got a senior who struggled, didn't make a field goal, but it doesn't affect his game because he finds a way to get other people," Baylor coach Scott Drew said. "Fourteen assists was tremendous."

Everett had seven assists at halftime and he said assistant coach Ray McCallum told him to go for 15. He matched his previous high of 10 by setting up Taylor Griffin for a two-handed jam with 13:42 to play. But he sat out the final 8:24 and didn't get a chance at 15 or to challenge the record.

"Every time I got the ball, I was trying to push it up the floor, looking for somebody open," Everett said. "A lot of times, Michael was open. I threw a lot of lobs."

He explained the reason for his success this way: "We just made shots."

A scoreboard malfunction listed the score as 198-0 within the first 2 minutes, a sign of the blowout to come in Oklahoma's 24th straight win over the Bears (2-8, 2-8 Big 12).

Kevin Bookout scored six straight points - including two right-handed hook shots and a layup - and Neal followed with consecutive 3-pointers from the left side as the Sooners (16-5, 7-3) extended their lead to 50-19 in the opening minutes of the second half .

The Bears, who didn't play any nonconference games because of NCAA sanctions, went to a lineup featuring five reserves and pulled within 50-27 on a fast-break layup by walk-on Carl Sims. Baylor got as close as 55-34 when Curtis Jerrells stole the ball and streaked downcourt for a layup.

But Everett and Neal pushed the Sooners ahead again.

Neal hit a 3-pointer from the right side and Everett set up a layup and a dunk by Nate Carter on consecutive possessions. After another 3 by Neal, Everett rang up his 14th assist on the alley-oop to Gray.

"I just threw it up there and had faith that he would catch it so I wouldn't get in trouble with Coach," Everett said. "He caught it, so it was a relief. Coach Sampson cracked a little smile."

If the highlight-reel play hadn't been successful, Sampson just said, "It wouldn't be good."

Bookout finished with 15 points, Griffin added 12 to set a career high for a second straight game and Gray had 10. Starting point guard Austin Johnson walked to the locker room late in the first half with an injury to his right leg and did not return to the Oklahoma bench.

Sampson said he didn't know exactly what was wrong with Johnson, who missed four games earlier this season with a sprained ankle.

"I just know he didn't need to go back in," Sampson said. "His ankle is really tender. It doesn't take much to get that thing tweaked."

Jerrells scored 16 points to lead Baylor.

Neal broke an early tie with a 3-pointer from the left side that sparked a 17-2 run and put the Sooners ahead to stay. Griffin followed with four free throws and Carter corralled a low alley-oop pass, then went up for a layup to give the Sooners a 17-8 lead.

After Kevin Rogers of Baylor hit jumper, Gray scored on a fast-break layup, Neal added another 3 and Griffin tipped in a missed free throw by Carter to give the Sooners a 25-10 lead.

Gray added a two-handed dunk and a layup off an inbounds pass from Everett, and Carter hit two free throws to give the Sooners a 22-point lead with 3 minutes left in the half.

The Bears shot 4-for-21 (19 percent) and trailed 38-17 at halftime. It was the second straight game Oklahoma held an opponent to four first-half field goals.

"They really pressured the perimeter and with pressuring the perimeter, it made it tough for us to get people open, so it created more one-on-one play," Drew said. "We've got to do a better job of finishing then and handling that kind of pressure."

OU Beats Baylor for 24th Straight Time

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