OU-Oklahoma State Game Notes

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Postgame Notes
Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State
Big 12 Championship Quarterfinals
March 12, 2015

• After falling behind 32-23 early in the second half, No. 3 seed Oklahoma outscored No. 6 seed Oklahoma State 41-17 over the final 17:28 to post a 64-49 win in the Big 12 Championship quarterfinals in Kansas City, Mo.

• The win was OU's fifth straight against Oklahoma State and gave the Sooners their first three-game sweep of the Cowboys since the 1984-85 season. Lon Kruger improved to 7-2 against OSU as OU's head coach.

• The Sooners' 21 points in the opening 20 minutes (they shot 23.3 percent from the field) were their fewest in a half this season. They rebounded for 43 points after halftime on 50.0-percent shooting.

• OU held OSU to a 35-percent field goal mark in each half. On the year, OU opponents are shooting just .383 from the field (the last opponent season mark lower than that was in 1959-60).

• OSU (.731) and OU (.727) entered the game as the Big 12's best free throw shooting teams. The Sooners shot .905 from the line Thursday (19 for 21) while the Cowboys shot .533 (8 for 15).

• OU's Buddy Hield was presented with the Big 12 Player of the Year trophy by league commissioner Bob Bowlsby before the game. Hield struggled in the first half, scoring 6 points on 2-for-8 shooting before erupting for 16 in the second half. He was 3 for 6 from 3-point range on the night and 9 for 9 from the free throw line (nine makes were a career high).

• Hield moved into 19th place on OU's all-time scoring chart. He passed Blake Griffin (1,278 points) and former teammate Cameron Clark (1,284), and now has 1,299 points.

• In his first Big 12 tourney game, senior forward TaShawn Thomas recorded his fourth double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Thomas scored 11 points in the second half.

• Ryan Spangler was held to 4 points but pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds, the most by a Sooner this season. He made 2 of his 4 field goal attempts and added 2 assists and a block.

• Sophomore guard Jordan Woodard went 7 for 8 from the foul line and finished with 11 points while pulling down 6 rebounds, his second most of the season. He finished with 11 points, his 14th game with at least 8 points in the last 15 outings.

• Le'Bryan Nash scored 27 for OSU but the Sooners held Phil Forte, the Big 12's third-leading scorer, to 3 points on 1-for-10 shooting (0 for 7 from 3). In three games against OSU, OU held Forte to 1-for-15 3-point shooting.

• After averaging 4.5 points on 3-for-16 shooting in the first two Bedlam meetings this season, junior guard Isaiah Cousins finished with 10 points Thursday. He was 4 for 9 from the floor and 2 for 4 from 3-point range.

• OU was outrebounded 24-19 in the first half but outboarded OSU 22-12 in the second for a 41-36 victory on the glass.

• The Sooners' 6 turnovers on the night were their second fewest of the season. OU outscored the Cowboys 12-8 off turnovers, marking the ninth time in the last 11 games and 24th time in 31 contests this year it has won the category.

• OU advances to face No. 2 seed Iowa State in the semifinals Friday at approximately 8:30 p.m. CT. It will mark OU's ninth Big 12 semifinals appearance in the 19-year history of the event (it is 5-3). The game will be televised by ESPN 2. No. 1 seed Kansas plays No. 4 seed Baylor in Friday's other semifinal.