Sooners Try for Sweep of Texas Tech


	Calvin Newell's 24 minutes against Kansas were his most in Big 12 play.

Oklahoma (12-16, 4-10) at Texas Tech (12-17, 4-10)
Date & Tip Time	Wednesday, March 2 at 6:37 p.m. CT
Location	Lubbock, Texas \| United Spirit Arena (15,098)
Tickets	OU Athletics Ticket Office
TV	Sooner Sports Network (via Texas Tech Network feed) Cox Cable 3 in both Oklahoma City and Tulsa ESPN Full Court
Radio	Sooner Radio Network KRXO FM 107.7 in Oklahoma City KTBZ AM 1430 in Tulsa
Webcast	ESPN3.com
Live Stats	SoonerSports.com GameTracker
Game Info	Game Notes (PDF)

WEDNESDAY'S GAME BASICS
Tied for 10th place in the Big 12, Oklahoma (12-16 overall, 4-10 Big 12) and Texas Tech (12-17, 4-10) meet Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. CT in Lubbock, Texas. The Sooners have lost seven in a row following a four-game losing streak, while the Red Raiders have lost six of seven following a three-game winning streak. Wednesday's game will air on the Sooner Radio Network (KRXO 107.7 FM in Oklahoma City; KTBZ 1430 AM in Tulsa) with Bob Barry and Mike Houck announcing. It will be televised by the Sooner Sports Network (Cox Cable Channel 3 in Oklahoma City and Tulsa) via a feed from the Texas Tech Sports Network. Brian Jensen and John Harris will call the action.

NOTEWORTHY
• Oklahoma holds a 30-18 series lead against Texas Tech and is 10-11 in Lubbock. The Sooners have won eight of the last 11 overall meetings, including an 83-74 decision in Norman on Jan. 18.
• The Sooners are 11-4 at home this year and 1-12 away from Lloyd Noble Center. Their lone road win came Jan. 29 at Iowa State (82-76 in overtime).
• Starters have accounted for 636 of Oklahoma's 730 points (87 percent) over the last 11 games.
• With just two players on the active roster taller than 6-7, guards have accounted for 66 percent of the team's points this year.
• A big key for OU in its wins this year has been its positive assist-to-turnover ratio. In 12 victories, the Sooners have 189 assists to 167 turnovers. In its 16 losses, Oklahoma has accumulated 167 assists and 214 turnovers.
• During their four-game Big 12 winning streak, the Sooners averaged 26.5 free throw attempts per game. In seven losses since, OU is averaging 16.6 attempts.
• Eight of OU's top nine scorers are in their first or second year of Division I.
• Freshmen and sophomores have accounted for 72 percent of OU's points this year. The Sooners have one senior in Cade Davis.
• Davis is averaging 18.5 points and 6.3 rebounds over the last four games and is 11-for-23 (.478) from 3-point range during the stretch. He has led the Sooners in scoring in each of the last three outings against Kansas State, Texas A&M and Kansas (averaging 20.3) and has accounted for 34 percent of the team's points in those contests.
• Sophomore guard Steven Pledger, who turned in a 38-point performance Jan. 29 at Iowa State, has scored in double figures in 10 of OU's 12 wins and is averaging a team-high 16.2 points in the team's victories compared to 7.4 in losses. He averaged 18.3 points during the team's four-game Big 12 winning streak but is averaging 7.4 over seven games since, all defeats.
• After averaging 15.0 points and 6.0 rebounds during OU's four-game winning streak, freshman Cameron Clark is averaging 7.3 points and 3.3 boards over the last seven games. Clark has attempted just four free throws during the losing streak.
• In OU's 12 wins, point guard Carl Blair has totaled 57 assists and 27 turnovers. In the team's 16 losses, Blair has 60 assists and 55 turnovers. The sophomore attempted 37 free throws during the team's four-game winning streak (9.3 average) but has attempted just 13 in seven losses since (1.9 average).

Sooner to Watch
	Cade Davis \| Sr. \| Guard • Ranks second on team in scoring (12.7) and assists (1.9) and first in rebounding (5.1) • Averaging 18.5 points and 6.3 rebounds over the last four games • Is 11-for-23 from 3-point range over the last four contests • Tied a career high with 25 points against Texas Tech on Jan. 18 (added 7 boards)

PLAYERS UPDATE
• Sophomore forward Andrew Fitzgerald has scored at least 15 points 12 times this season, including seven times in OU's 14 conference games. He leads the team with his 13.4 points per outing on the year and ranks second with his 5.1 rebounds per contest. Fitzgerald ranks sixth in the Big 12 with his .498 season field goal percentage, and his .748 free throw percentage is up significantly from last year (.638).
• Oklahoma's lone senior, guard Cade Davis leads the team in rebounding (5.1 rpg), and ranks second in scoring (13.2 ppg), assists (1.9 apg) and steals (1.0 spg). He's averaging 18.5 points and 6.3 rebounds over the last four games after averaging 8.6 points and 4.0 boards over the previous five outings. Davis, who has led the Sooners in rebounding in nine of his last 14 games, stands fifth on OU's career treys list with 174.
• Sophomore guard Steven Pledger scored in double figures in seven of eight games prior to his current three-game stretch of averaging 3.0 points. In eight games since a career-high 38-point effort at Iowa State on Jan. 29 in which he registered career highs in field goals (12), 3-point field goals (7) and free throw makes (7), Pledger is averaging 7.8 points on .309 shooting. During OU's four-game Big 12 winning streak, Pledger averaged 18.3 points on .480 shooting.
• Freshman Cameron Clark's top eight scoring totals have all come over the last 19 outings, but the guard has been held to single digits in five of the last seven games. In OU's wins, Clark is averaging 13.2 points while shooting .549 from the field and .457 from 3-point range (16-for-35). In losses, he's averaging 6.9 points while shooting .430 from the field and .250 from deep (6-for-24).
• Sophomore point guard Carl Blair has shown vast improvement from the beginning of the season. Over the last 11 outings, the University of New Orleans transfer is averaging 8.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and a team-high 4.8 assists while shooting .820 from the free throw line (41-for-50). By comparison, in his first six games this year, Blair averaged 4.0 points, 0.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists while shooting .556 from the charity stripe (5-for-9). He ranks fourth in the Big 12 with his 4.5 assists per contest (third in league games at 4.9) and has led OU in the category in 16 of the last 20 outings.
• One of OU's first players off the bench, junior forward C.J. Washington is shooting .708 from the field (17-for-24) over the last 16 games. On the year, Washington leads OU in rebounds per minute (averaging 10.8 per 40 minutes).
• Freshman forward Tyler Neal has seen a major increase in playing time the last seven games and has responded nicely. The Oklahoma City product is averaging 6.4 points and 3.3 rebounds in 18.1 minutes per contest during the stretch (he averaged 2.0 points and 1.7 rebounds in OU's first seven Big 12 games). Neal played a career-high 28 minutes last Wednesday at No. 21 Texas A&M and followed with 25 minutes Saturday against Kansas in his second Big 12 start. He contributed eight points on 3-for-5 shooting (2-for-4 from 3-point range) against the Jayhawks.

PREVIEWING TEXAS TECH
• Texas Tech enters Tuesday's game with a 12-17 overall record and a 4-10 Big 12 mark. The Red Raiders, who have lost six of their last seven games following a three-game winning streak, are 10-7 at home this year (2-5 in Big 12 play). Each of their last four losses have come by single digits, three of them by three or fewer points.
• In Big 12 play, Texas Tech is averaging 69.6 points per game (ranks seventh in league) and is shooting .435 from the field (ranks eighth), .389 from 3-point range (ranks third) and .709 from the free throw line (ranks eighth). Defensively, the Red Raiders rank last in the league by allowing opponents to shoot .477 from the field. Their .360 3-point field goal defense ranks seventh in the conference.
• Texas Tech's top four scorers are seniors, with point guard John Roberson leading the way. Roberson, who has led the Red Raiders in scoring in seven of their last 12 games, averages 14.1 points and a team-high 4.3 assists per outing on the year. He's made a team-high 70 3-pointers and is shooting .422 from 3-point range. Over the last 12 games, Roberson is averaging 17.6 points and 5.5 assists while going 42-for-85 (.494) from behind the arc.
• Forwards Mike Singletary and Brad Reese also score in double figures on the year. Singletary averages 12.7 points and a team-high 5.6 rebounds a game to go along with 2.4 assists, but is averaging 5.8 points over the last five contests. He's scored in double figures once in those five outings. Reese averages 11.9 points and 4.5 boards a contest and is shooting .397 from 3-point range (29-for-73). He has led Texas Tech in scoring in three of the last five games (18 vs. Texas A&M, 17 at Baylor and 18 at Oklahoma State).
• Guard David Tairu provides 9.4 points a game on the year but is averaging 12.7 over the last six outings. He is 12-for-21 from 3-point range over those six games (.571).
• Pat Knight is in his fourth year as Texas Tech's head coach and owns a 49-59 record.

OU-TEXAS TECH HISTORY
Oklahoma owns a 30-18 series advantage against Texas Tech and has won six of the last eight meetings and eight of the last 11. OU is 10-11 against the Red Raiders in Lubbock. Since the start of the Big 12 in 1996-97, OU is 21-10 against Texas Tech (9-5 in Lubbock). Jeff Capel is 6-3 against the Red Raiders as OU's head coach (2-2 in Lubbock).

EARLIER THIS YEAR AGAINST THE RED RAIDERS
• Oklahoma shot 56 percent in the second half and turned 20 Texas Tech turnovers (15 in the first half) into 18 points in an 83-74 home win on Jan. 18. The victory snapped a 12-game conference losing streak. OU's 83 points still represent a season high.
• For the first time this season, all five OU starters scored in double figures. They accounted for 81 of the team's season-high 83 points.
• Trailing 17-11, the Sooners outscored Texas Tech 20-7 over the final 11:10 of the first half to take a 31-24 halftime lead. OU never trailed in the second half and led by as many as 14.
• Oklahoma's 29 free throw makes and 34 attempts both marked season highs. The Sooners made 17 of their final 18 attempts, including 13 in a row over the game's last 1:50.
• Cade Davis' 25 points matched a career best. The senior guard was 7-for-12 from the field, 4-for-8 from 3-point range and 7-for-8 from the free throw line. He also pulled down a team-high seven rebounds in 32 minutes of action.
• Sophomore forward Andrew Fitzgerald finished with 20 points, five rebounds, two assists, three blocks and three steals. He was 7-for-12 from the floor and hit all six of his free throw attempts. Sophomore guard Steven Pledger recorded 14 points, three assists and two blocks. Sophomore point guard Carl Blair went 9-for-11 at the foul line and registered 11 points, a team-high five assists and three steals. Freshman guard Cameron Clark contributed 11 points and six rebounds in 38 minutes without a turnover.
• Guard John Roberson went 4-for-9 from 3-point range and led Tech with 21 points. Forward Brad Reese added 15 and seven boards.

SATURDAY'S KANSAS RECAP
• Third-ranked Kansas rode 71 percent first-half field goal shooting and a 35-16 rebounding advantage to an 82-70 win in Norman on Saturday. The Sooners trailed 59-40 with 15 minutes remaining but outscored KU 30-23 the rest of the way
• With 19 points, Cade Davis led OU in scoring for the third straight game. The senior guard made 10 free throws on 11 attempts (both career highs) and added two steals in 31 minutes. Davis, who did not participate in OU's shootaround due to a mild case of vertigo, scored 17 of his 19 in the second half.
• Sophomore forward Andrew Fitzgerald hit six of his 10 field goal attempts and all four of his free throws en route to a 16-point game, while freshman guard Cameron Clark, who had scored in double figures once in the previous six outings, finished with 10 points on 4-for-8 shooting. Clark added a team-high four rebounds did not a commit a turnover in his 31 minutes.
• Freshman forward Tyler Neal started for the fourth time this year and second time in Big 12 play. He hit two early 3-pointers and finished with eight points in 25 minutes (his second most playing time this season). Fellow freshman Calvin Newell came off the bench to score nine points, his most in Big 12 action. The backup point guard also handed out three assists while committing just one turnover. His 24 minutes were his most since also playing 24 Jan. 3 against Maryland Eastern Shore.
• Kansas' .568 field goal mark was the second best by an OU opponent on the year. The Sooners shot .460 from the field against a Kansas team that entered the game holding opponents to a .395 season mark. OU's six turnovers were a season low.

UP NEXT
The Sooners return home to host Oklahoma State in a 3 p.m. CT Bedlam battle on Saturday. The regular season finale will mark the final game at home for lone OU senior Cade Davis and will be televised by the Big 12 Network.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Related News

Related Videos

Sponsors