Sooners Suffocate Red Raiders, 81-36

Wednesday, January 28

Norman

6:30 PM

University of Oklahoma

Texas Tech

January 28, 2015 | Men's Basketball

By: Athletics Communications

Texas Tech

24/NR Oklahoma

Stat Comparison
Category	TTU	OU
Points	36	81
FGM-A	11-52	32-61
FG%	21.2	52.5
3 FGM-A	3-17	9-24
3 FG%	17.6	37.5
FTM-A	11-19	8-9
FT%	57.9	88.9
Rebounds	35	39
Assists	2	16
Turnovers	17	9
Blocks	4	10
Steals	3	10

Individual Leaders
Category	TTU	OU
Points	Two Players - 8	Spangler - 20
Rebounds	Smith - 8	Thomas - 8
Assists	Two Players - 1	Cousins - 5
Steals	Three Players - 1	Two Players - 3
Blocks	Foster - 2	Lattin - 5

Player of the Game
Ryan Spangler // Jr. // F Spangler scored a season-high 20 points on 8-for-9 from the field. He also added four rebounds, three blocks and an assist.

NORMAN (AP) — If Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger ever needs to emphasize the importance of playing great defense, he'll have a 40-minute how-to video in the archives.

The Sooners allowed the fewest points ever by a Big 12 team in a conference game, and No. 24 Oklahoma defeated Texas Tech 81-36 on Wednesday night. The Sooners eclipsed the league record of 37 points set by Texas against Oklahoma in 2004 and matched by Oklahoma against Texas A&M in 2008.

"From start to finish, I thought the focus was really good," Kruger said. "Defensively, early, we were able to get on top of some things and create a little bit of offense from defense. A lot of guys played well. Most important, our focus and attention defensively was pretty good."

Oklahoma's offense wasn't bad, either. Ryan Spangler scored a season-high 20 points, Buddy Hield scored 15 points and Isaiah Cousins added 13 for the Sooners (13-7, 4-4 Big 12), who had lost 4 of 5, with three of the losses against ranked opponents.

"Coach has been preaching to us that somebody has got to light the fire," Spangler said. "I think all of us did that today."

Texas Tech upset Oklahoma 68-60 in Norman last year, but the Sooners had this game in hand quickly and held Tech to 21 percent shooting.

"I don't know, I really didn't see this coming," Texas Tech coach Tubby Smith said. "I thought we were prepared. We missed some shots early on and the rest of it was downhill. We just lost our confidence.

"Tech (11-10, 1-7) was coming off a win over No. 9 Iowa State last Saturday that snapped a six-game losing skid, and followed it with the worst margin of defeat of Smith's coaching career.

"I told the guys, `Fellas, this may be the worst loss I've ever been a part of," Smith said. "The worst beating I've ever had. We just kind of, I don't know, gave up. We couldn't make a shot and they were making all of theirs. It snowballed."

Texas Tech had just seven points nearly 14 minutes into the game. Oklahoma's Frank Booker drained a 3-pointer that put the Sooners up 22-11 with about 5 minutes left in the first half.

Hield, bottled up for most of the first half, made a 3 with 3 seconds left to give the Sooners a 37-16 lead at the break. Spangler had 12 points and three blocks in the first 20 minutes.

Oklahoma held Tech to 25 percent shooting before the break. Tech barely avoided its lowest-scoring half of the season, eclipsing the 14 the Red Raiders scored in the first half against TCU on Jan. 17.

Jordan Woodard dropped a 3-pointer in about four minutes into the second half, and Khadeem Lattin had a dunk on the fast break to put the Sooners up 53-17 with 15:25 to go.

Texas Tech's first field goal of the second half came with 11:58 remaining. The Red Raiders shot 18 percent after the break.