Oklahoma's Comeback Falls Short

(7-3)

	1st	2nd	F
Stephen F. Austin	26	30	56
Oklahoma	30	25	55

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Replay

(8-1)

Postgame Press Conference

Stat Comparison	OU	SFA
Points	55	56
FG Made-Attempted	22-58	24-61
FG Percentage	37.9	39.3
3P Made/Attempted	3-14	3-14
3P Percentage	21.4	21.4
FT Made-Attempted	8-11	5-6
FT Percentage	72.7	83.3
Rebounds	38	37
Turnovers	13	13

Individual Leaders
Stat	Oklahoma	SFA
Points	Hornbeak - 12 Pledger	Smith - 14
Rebounds	Hield - 11	Smith - 7
Assists	Hornbeak - 3	Bateman - 9
Steals	Hield - 2	Smith - 3
Blocks	Three with 1	Smith - 4

Performance of the Game

Freshman G Je'lon Hornbeak
Hornbeak tied a team high with 12 points and added 3 rebounds and 3 assists. He was 4-of-9 from the field and 3-of-5 from beyond the arc.

Je'lon Hornbeak's Bio

Up Next

Who: Ohio
When: Sat., Dec. 29, 7 p.m.
TV: FS Southwest
Where: Lloyd Noble Center
What's at Stake: The Sooners face an Ohio team that won last year's MAC Championship and advanced to the 2012 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.

Full Schedule | Tickets

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) --With the No. 1 scoring defense in the nation, Stephen F. Austin has had success making teams change their style of play.
It worked again Tuesday night as the Lumberjacks closed out nonconference play with a 56-55 win at Oklahoma, snapping the Sooners' 36-game nonconference home winning streak.

"This is how you beat teams that are bigger, stronger, faster," SFA coach Danny Kaspar said. "You don't try to get in a running game with them — at least, we don't. You just grind it out and hope to have a chance at the end. We got a Christmas present."

There was little running by either team. Taylor Smith scored 14 points, Hal Bateman chipped in 13 and Stephen F. Austin held off Oklahoma in the final seconds.

The Lumberjacks (8-1), who entered the game allowing just 49.5 points per game, led by as many as 11 in the second half. Oklahoma (7-3) rallied and had a chance to tie in the final seconds but failed to convert a pair of free throws.

Stephen F. Austin methodically worked the ball inside, scoring 34 of its 56 points in the paint. The Southland Conference member held Oklahoma to its second-lowest scoring output this season.

It was the 41st consecutive time the Lumberjacks managed to hold a team below 70 points, dating back two seasons.

The Lumberjacks took their first lead with 9:59 remaining in the first half on Smith's left-handed jam, but Oklahoma closed the half on a 17-9 run to lead by four at the break.

Steven Pledger and Je'lon Hornbeak led the Sooners with 12 points apiece.

Romero Osby — Oklahoma's leading scorer this season — was whistled for his third foul a minute into the second half during a scramble for a loose ball. He would sit and not return until midway through the half.

The Lumberjacks took advantage of Osby's absence, outscoring Oklahoma 19-4 during the stretch and pushing their lead to double digits.

Oklahoma closed the gap and took a one-point advantage with 4:38 remaining when Hornbeak drained a 3-pointer. But Stephen F. Austin took the lead for good with 1:04 remaining when Bateman made a pair of free throws.

Oklahoma had a chance to tie when freshman Buddy Hield was fouled on a drive to the basket with 4 seconds left. His finger roll rimmed out, as did his second free-throw attempt.

Oklahoma was without the services of reserve guard Sam Grooms, who sustained a concussion Sunday during practice. Coming into the game, Grooms, a starter a year ago, was Oklahoma's assists leader.

The win cost the Lumberjacks reserve Nikola Gajic, who broke his right thumb early in the first half. Kaspar said Gajic would likely miss three to four weeks.

"I thought it was a very hard-fought game," Kaspar said. "I don't think either team shot the ball very well, but we're kind of known for our defense and so are they. I knew it would be a defensive battle."

Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger said the game would give the Sooners something to work on heading into the Christmas break.

"We can't be pleased with the result, and we recognize a lot of areas we have to do a much better job with on both ends of the floor," Kruger said. "This is one of those that drives that home."

Stephen F. Austin was outrebounded for only the second time in its last 19 games and shot just 39 percent for the game.