University of Oklahoma Athletics
Oklahoma Postgame Notes
December 10, 2008 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 10, 2008
• No. 5/5 Oklahoma improved to 9-0 with a 78-52 victory over Maine. The Sooners marked the Black Bears' highest-ranked opponent in program history.
• OU, the lone unbeaten squad in the Big 12, is off to its best start since the 2003-04 Sooners started 10-0.
• OU reserves played 104 of a possible 200 minutes (43 of 100 in the first half) in tonight's win as no Oklahoma starter played more than 26 minutes.
• Oklahoma scored 28 points off of 20 Maine turnovers. The Black Bears scored no points off of nine OU turnovers.
• The Sooners are now 67-2 in their last 69 non-conference home games dating back to the 1999-2000 season.
• Maine's 26-point loss was its worst of the season.
• Preseason All-American Blake Griffin scored a game-high 22 points (on 11-for-13 shooting) and added 10 rebounds, his seventh double-double in nine contests this season. Griffin led OU in scoring for the eighth time in nine contests in a season-low 26 minutes.
• Griffin added three assists, three blocks and two steals without a turnover. It was his fifth game of the year with at least three assists.
• Griffin's 22-point output was just 11 points fewer than Maine's starting five. Seven of his 11 field goals were dunks.
• Freshman guard Willie Warren scored 19 points on 7-of-10 (.700) shooting in 20 minutes of action. He also recorded a pair of assists and steals.
• Fellow freshman Ray Willis added 13 points off the bench – his highest total since netting a career-high 14 points against Mississippi Valley State the season's second game.
• Junior guard Tony Crocker reached double figures (10 points) for the second straight contest (he scored 12 at Tulsa on Sunday). It marked the first time this season that Crocker has scored at least 10 points in consecutive games.
• Senior guard Austin Johnson tallied seven assists against just one turnover to give him 43 handouts against just 14 turnovers on the year (3,1 ratio). Johnson made his only field goal attempt of the night – a 3-pointer.
• Orange Bowl committee member Larry Gautier officially invited the Oklahoma football squad to the BCS National Championship Game during a halftime ceremony honoring the Big 12 champions. Sophomore captain Gerald McCoy spoke at the ceremony, thanking the crowd for its support on the year and urging all fans to travel to Miami.
