OU-Kansas Game Notes

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Postgame Notes
Oklahoma vs. Kansas
March 7, 2015

• On the day he was named to the 15-player Wooden Award ballot, Buddy Hield tipped in Jordan Woodard's missed driving layup with 0.2 seconds left to give No. 15/15 Oklahoma a 75-73 win over No. 9/10 Kansas in OU's home finale.

• The win gave OU a 12-6 Big 12 Conference record and at least a tie for second place. OU will finish in second place outright if TCU beats Iowa State tonight. If Iowa State wins, the Sooners and Cyclones will tie for second place and Oklahoma will be the No. 3 seed.

• Oklahoma's win was its seventh against an AP Top 25 opponent, setting a single-season school record. OU won six games against AP-ranked teams in 1988-89 (No. 1 NCAA seed) and 2001-02 (advanced to Final Four).

• This marks the fourth time in four seasons under Lon Kruger that OU has finished higher in the Big 12 standings than where it was predicted by league coaches in preseason polls. Last year the Sooners were picked tied for fifth and finished second. In 2012-13 OU was slotted seventh and finished tied for fourth. In 2011-12 OU was picked ninth and wound up eighth. Kruger's squad was picked third in this year's poll.

• After getting outrebounded 31-19 in the first half (14-5 offensively), OU outboarded the Jayhawks 25-13 in the second (13-2 offensively). Both teams finished with 44 rebounds.

• Oklahoma's win was its second in the last three seasons in Norman but just its second in the last 15 overall meetings. Kansas is the only current or former Big 12 school with an all-time winning record against the Sooners.

• OU's .382 field goal mark was its third lowest in victory this season (shot .328 in win over UCLA and .361 in home win over Texas). The Sooners held Kansas to a .381 field goal mark, the Jayhawks' third lowest in Big 12 play.

• OU outscored Kansas 18-10 off turnovers. The Sooners finished their home season outscoring opponents 296-134 off turnovers.

• Hield scored a team-high 18 points (has led OU in scoring in 11 of the last 17 games) and added 7 rebounds (6 after halftime) and 2 assists. He finished Big 12 play by averaging 18.5 points a contest to win the scoring title for conference-only games.

• Isaiah Cousins finished with 16 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. The junior guard was 2 for 3 from 3-point range, upping his 3-point percentage in home games to .519 (27 for 52) on the year. Cousins has shot at least 50 percent from 3-point range in 16 of the 28 games in which he's attempted at least one trey.

• After tallying 4 points, 4 rebounds and 6 turnovers in Lawrence on Jan. 19, TaShawn Thomas finished with 13 points, 6 boards and 3 turnovers in his final collegiate home game today. A .656 free throw shooter on the year entering the game, he was 5 for 6 on the day.

• The Big 12 Championship will be played at the 18,972-seat Sprint Center next Wednesday through Saturday. OU has a first-round bye and will play a quarterfinals game Thursday evening.