Men's Basketball: Back in Time #8

July 30, 2007

NORMAN, Okla. - Each Monday through August, SoonerSports.com will take you back in time with the OU men's basketball program as we highlight some of the biggest games and biggest names from the 1970s, '80s, '90s and 2000s.

The eighth installment features a high-scoring affair between OU and Loyola Marymount during the 1990-91 season. The Lions, who led the nation in scoring each of the previous three seasons, brought their run-and-gun show to Lloyd Noble Center. But Brent Price and the Sooners were waiting, and the result was a treat of non-stop action for the fans in attendance and who watched on ESPN.

The game is one that Price will never forget.

Dec. 15, 1990
No. 13 Oklahoma vs. Loyola Marymount | Box Score

This is how well Oklahoma's Brent Price played on Dec. 15, 1990, against Loyola Marymount: teammate Kermit Holmes made 13 field goals, was 7-for-8 from the free throw line, grabbed 21 rebounds and scored 34 points, but garnered little postgame media attention.

That's because Price was 20-for-33 from the field, 11-for-19 from 3-point range and 5-for-6 from the foul line for a Lloyd Noble Center record 56 points. Oh yeah -- he also finished with nine assists, nine steals and a couple of blocked shots.

1990 OU vs. Loyola Marymount Video Highlights

This is how little of a chance Loyola Marymount stood against 13th-ranked OU: the Lions scored 55 points in the first half and 57 more in the second, but still managed to lose by 60 (172-112).

One year after winning 136-121 at Loyola Marymount, Oklahoma turned up the heat on the Lions in front of a sold out crowd and ESPN audience. The Sooners forced 40 LMU turnovers and reached the 100-point mark with more than 16 minutes remaining.

OU approached 100 points in the second half alone, before settling for 93 in the period. Its 172 total points were one shy of the school record set in the previous season's opening contest against U.S. International.

Every Sooner played well, but it was Price who flourished. His 11 treys were a Big Eight Conference record and his 56 points were the second most in school history (Wayman Tisdale scored 61 against Texas-San Antonio during the 1983-84 season in Oklahoma City).

Price was on target from the get-go, scoring 21 points in the game's first 10:25. But it was his second-half performance that had everyone shaking their heads. The junior guard, who transferred to OU after playing his first two seasons at South Carolina, netted 35 points after the break, including a Big Eight record seven treys.

To illustrate Price's fortunes on the evening, one of his second-half 3-point attempts came from the baseline in front of the OU bench. The ball glanced off the side of the backboard and went in.

Asked if the game was his best as a human being, Price responded, "Offensively it was. I can't say I played a whole lot of tenacious defense, though."

"Brent was on early," said OU head coach Billy Tubbs. "He hit a good spell in the first 10 minutes, and he's the guy to look for when he has it going."

Added Price, "I felt like I was going to have a chance to score a lot of points tonight. Our game plan was for me to fly down the court as soon as they shot the ball, and I thank my teammates for getting me the ball."

Last Week's Feature

The chief distributor for the Sooners was point guard Terry Evans, who had a rare triple double (although one of the categories was not one in which he hoped to reach double digits). The sophomore handed out 16 assists while also scoring 10 points and recording 10 turnovers. In addition to Price's record performance and Holmes' 34 points and 21 boards, Jeff Webster tallied 28 points and seven rebounds while Roland Ware came off the bench to register 17 points and nine boards in 17 minutes.

OU reached 172 points despite missing more shots than it made. The Sooners were 61-for-124 (49.2 percent) from the floor and tied a school record with 17 3-pointers (on 38 attempts for 44.7 percent).

Loyola Marymount's Terrell Lowery was stellar in defeat, scoring 41 points on 14-for-20 shooting.

Notes: The win was OU's 51st straight at Lloyd Noble Center, 75th in a row at LNC versus non-conference opponents and 107th in a row when scoring at least 100 points ... Loyola Marymount led the nation in scoring each of the previous three seasons ... The Sooners led 79-55 at halftime and outscored the Lions 93-57 after intermission.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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