Jan. 25, 2006
Box Score | Quotes | Notes
WACO, Texas (AP) - Michael Neal and Terrell Everett did most of the scoring in the first half for No. 24 Oklahoma and the Sooners went on to beat Baylor for the 23rd straight time, 82-52 Wednesday night.
Neal and Everett combined for 23 points in the first half, including all 11 for the Sooners (12-4, 3-2 Big 12) in the 2 1/2-minute spurt that put them ahead to stay.
The Sooners have won three straight since losing their first two conference games. Baylor (0-5, 0-5) has lost its games by an average of 23 points after being banned from non-conference games by the NCAA this season.
Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson is 21-0 against the Bears, whose last win in the series was in December 1977 when Dave Bliss was the Sooners' coach. Bliss coached at Baylor from 1999-2003, and there were numerous violations during that time that led to the NCAA penalties.
Taj Gray and Everett led Oklahoma with 16 points each, while Neal had 15 and Kevin Bookout 11. Neal had four 3-pointers before halftime, and his only basket after that was another 3-pointer.
Patrick Fields had 14 points and Aaron Bruce added 10 for the Bears, who have lost 19 straight games. That's the longest losing streak since a school-record 23 in a row that included all 17 games in the 1944-45 season.
Neal started the go-ahead spurt when he stole an errant inbounds pass near midcourt and hit a 3-pointer with 12:40 left in the half. Fields made a 3-pointer, but Everett responded with a 3-pointer from the top of the key to put Oklahoma up 14-12.
After Fields was called for an offensive foul, Neal hit another 3-pointer. On the next Oklahoma possession, Everett drove the baseline for a layup and it was 19-14.
An open 3-pointer by Neal put the Sooners up 37-26 at halftime.
Curtis Jerrells, one of four freshmen playing significant minutes for Baylor, had a steal and layup to start the second half. Oklahoma then scored nine straight points and maintained a double-figure margin the rest of the way.
A 3-pointer by David Godbold started the run, which included a blocked shot by Gray that led to a layup by Godbold and a follow-up slam by Gray.
Gray, the Sooners' leading scorer at 14.7 points per game, didn't score until making a free throw with 2:07 left. By then, it was already 32-21.
Baylor was within 24-21 when Bruce penetrated with 6 minutes left in the first half, then made a one-handed pass over his head to Kevin Rogers behind him for a layup. Bookout then scored six straight points and drew an offensive foul before Gray's free throw.
