University of Oklahoma Athletics
University of Oklahoma
Texas Tech
Sooners Back On Track, Beat Tech 83-74
January 18, 2011 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 18, 2011
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Video Library | NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -- Cade Davis needed a boost, perhaps more badly than Oklahoma did after equaling its worst start ever to Big 12 play.
Davis followed his lowest-scoring game of the season by matching his career high with 25 points, and Oklahoma snapped a 12-game losing streak against Big 12 competition Tuesday night by beating Texas Tech 83-74.
Davis missed Oklahoma's game at Baylor a week earlier following the death of his grandmother, then scored only three points before fouling out in Oklahoma's loss at Texas on Saturday. That defeat put the Sooners at 0-3 in Big 12 play for only the second time.
"It was so uplifting for me to come out and play the way that I did," Davis said. "I knew I'd had some emotional baggage carrying with me those last few games, and obviously, it affected the way that I played."
Davis missed his first four 3-point attempts but went 4-for-4 when it mattered most as the Sooners (9-9, 1-3) prevailed in a meeting of the last two teams without a conference win. The first two 3-pointers came during a 10-2 run after the Red Raiders had pulled within 33-30 early in the second half.
Tech (8-11, 0-4) never got closer than six afterward.
"It's good for these guys to have some success and to get in here and to have a win," coach Jeff Capel said. "Hopefully we feel good about it and hopefully it makes us hungrier to come back and to get back in the gym and to get better."
Oklahoma finished last season with nine straight losses, the last in the Big 12 tournament, then started conference play this season with three losses by a combined 51 points with a completely revamped roster featuring eight new players.
"We can't do anything about the past," Capel said. "We don't concentrate on last year or this past Saturday. Our focus is on right now, what we have to do right now.
"I never worried about a streak because in my mind, that streak didn't exist, because we're talking about this team. I don't count a streak when it goes back to guys that aren't here anymore."
Andrew Fitzgerald had 20 points, Steven Pledger added 14 and Cameron Clark and Carl Blair scored 11 apiece as all five Oklahoma starters finished in double figures. Tyler Neal provided the Sooners' only bench production with two free throws with 19 seconds remaining, after Blair had fouled out.
Fitzgerald and Blair each had three of Oklahoma's 10 steals - only the third time this season the Big 12's last-place team in that category reached double figures.
"There's not going to be another team we play in the conference where we're more talented than them," Capel said. "We may be as talented, but we're not going to be more talented. But it doesn't mean we can't win."
John Roberson led Texas Tech (8-11, 0-4) with 21 points and Brad Reese scored 15. The Red Raiders tied their season-high with 20 turnovers to squander a season-best 16 offensive rebounds that created a 21-6 advantage in second-chance points.
"The funny thing is that your defense isn't that bad when you look at the turnovers," Tech coach Pat Knight said. "They had 18 points off of turnovers. You subtract that, and your defense really isn't that bad."
Tech led 17-11 after scoring eight points off of eight offensive rebounds. Oklahoma charged back with a 20-5 run that featured Clark's right-handed jam, and the Sooners led 31-24 at halftime.
The Red Raiders scored six of the first eight points after halftime to draw within 33-30 on Jaye Crockett's layup, but could never get over the hump.
Davis hit back-to-back 3-pointers after Oklahoma started 1-for-12 from behind the arc, the second one providing a 43-32 lead with 13:34 to play.
"It only takes one win in this league because all the wins are quality wins, no matter who you play," Knight said. "That's what we're looking for: just to get one win under our belt, get some confidence and get something rolling."
