Oklahoma Basketball: Sooners Can’t Shake Losing Skid, Fall at Texas Tech
By Chip Rouse
It was age against youth at Texas Tech on Saturday, and age won out as the Oklahoma basketball men suffered their fifth consecutive loss and 12th in their last 14 games, falling 77-69 to a seasoned group of Red Raiders.
Ground Hog Day was earlier this week, and for the Sooners most of the 2016-17 season has been like the popular movie of the same name. Time and again, this season, Oklahoma has been in a position in the second half to win the game, only to be unable to get over the hump and finish it out when the game is on the line.
The disparity in the makeup of the two rosters was clearly on display in the flow and style of play in this game. Texas Tech has 12 seniors and juniors on its roster. The Sooners’ roster, on the other hand, is loaded with youth, numbering 11 freshman and sophomores and just one senior starter.
Texas Tech broke open a close game in the first half, going on a 13-2 run to erase a one-point OU lead and opening up a 10-point advantage at 26-16. The Red Raiders went to halftime, leading 36-29, but the Sooners came out on fire after intermission and five minutes into the second half OU went back on top, 39-38.
The Sooners retained a narrow advantage for the next three minutes, until a three-point shot by Texas Tech’s Niam Stevenson put the Red Raiders back in front, at 45-44.
Oklahoma drew within one at 62-61 with four and a half minutes remaining in the game, but that was as close as the young Sooners would get the rest of the way.
The Red Raiders made seven of eight free throws in the final 50 seconds of the game to stretch out the lead and close out the game and hang yet another tough loss on Lon Kruger and the Sooners.
Texas Tech got an 18-point effort from redshirt senior Aaron Ross and held off the Sooners down the stretch to keep the Red Raiders’ NCAA Tournament hopes alive and record their 14th win in 15 games at home this season. Juniors Justin Gray and Keenan Evans contributed 14 points apiece.
Oklahoma shot better in this game (41.7 percent), but defensively the Sooners couldn’t get the stops when they needed them the most, allowing the Red Raiders to fire away a will from outside and shoot a blistering 48 percent for the game.
Jordan Woodard had just two points in the opening 20 minutes of the game, but warmed up considerably in the second half, as he has done on multiple occasions this season. The OU senior hit several big threes in the opening minutes of the second stanza to get the Sooners close. He ended up with 11 points.
Freshman Kameron McGusty once again led the Oklahoma attack, with 16 points. Rashard Odomes added 13 and Khadeem Lattin contributed 11 before fouling out late in the contest.
The Red Raiders ran their season record to 16-7 and picked up win number four in the Big 12 to go along with six losses. The Sooners fall to 8-14 and 2-8 in Big 12 play.