Stormin in Norman
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Oklahoma vs. Texas Tech: Sooners Go for a Season Sweep of Red Raiders

By Chip Rouse

Jan 14, 2017; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Jordan Woodard (10) drives to the basket in front of Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Devon Thomas (2) during the second half at Lloyd Noble Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 14, 2017; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Jordan Woodard (10) drives to the basket in front of Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Devon Thomas (2) during the second half at Lloyd Noble Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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One game separates the Sooners from last place and seventh place in the Big 12 standings, and that’s what Oklahoma vs. Texas Tech in men’s basketball this weekend represents.

Feb 17, 2016; Lubbock, TX, USA; The Texas Tech Red Raiders student body storms the court after the Red Raiders defeated the Oklahoma Sooners at United Supermarkets Arena. Texas Tech defeated Oklahoma 65-63. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 17, 2016; Lubbock, TX, USA; The Texas Tech Red Raiders student body storms the court after the Red Raiders defeated the Oklahoma Sooners at United Supermarkets Arena. Texas Tech defeated Oklahoma 65-63. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /

The Red Raiders (15-7, 3-6) are hosts to the Sooners on Saturday, with one game separating Oklahoma from Texas Tech. Oklahoma is looking to complete a two-game sweep over the Red Raiders, who fell to OU in Norman several weeks back.

Texas Tech has lost three of its last four games. Their lone victory was a 14-point conquest of LSU last weekend as part of the Big 12-SEC Basketball Challenge.

The Sooners (8-13, 2-7) are riding a four-game losing streak, three of those coming in the Big 12, after a thrilling, double-overtime win on the road at West Virginia. Since then, Oklahoma has lost games to Iowa State, Texas, Florida and Oklahoma State. Two of those losses were by a combined three points. In both of those losses, the Sooners held a lead in the game with under a minute to go.

Oklahoma desperately needs to find a way to generate more point production. In the Sooners last two games, they have averaged just 59 points, and that isn’t going to win many games in the Big 12 or any conference.

The team’s scoring leader, senior Jordan Woodard, has just 15 combined points in Oklahoma’s last three games, which is equivalent to his single-game average. OU must find a way to get Woodard back on track.

Two Oklahoma freshmen, Kameron McGusty and Kristian Doolittle are coming off a sensational month of January. McGusty, who is averaging 10  points a game, has scored in double figures in nine consecutive games, including 22 in his last outing, a loss at home in the Bedlam series to Oklahoma State.

Jan 18, 2017; Morgantown, WV, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Kameron McGusty (20) dribbles while guarded by West Virginia Mountaineers guard Teyvon Myers (0) during the first half at WVU Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 18, 2017; Morgantown, WV, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Kameron McGusty (20) dribbles while guarded by West Virginia Mountaineers guard Teyvon Myers (0) during the first half at WVU Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports /

In the month of January, McGusty and Doolittle combined to average 27.1 points a game, a vast improvement over the 15 points they averaged together in November. Sophomore Rashard Odomes is also averaging 10 points a game for the Sooners.

Three Things to Know About the Sooners

  • Oklahoma is having great trouble closing out games. In a large number of their 13 losses this season, the Sooners have held second-half leads. They have lost seven games by six or fewer points. In the last two conference losses, OU led over Texas and Oklahoma State with under a minute to go and lost by one point and two points, respectively.
  • Against Iowa State, four games ago, Jordan Woodard scored 21 points. In five of the six contests before that, he averaged 20 points a game. His last three games, however, the Sooner senior leader is averaging 5 points a game. The Sooners could also use more point production from junior Khadeem Lattin. Lattin is averaging eight a game, but if he could stay out of foul trouble and stay on the floor longer, his offensive game would pick up, and OU needs more scoring production.
  • Oklahoma leads the all-time series against Texas Tech 37-22 and is up 14-13 in games played in Lubbock. The Sooners have won four of the last five with the Red Raiders, the one loss during that time coming last season at Texas Tech, a two-point Tech win.

Three Things to Know About Texas Tech

  • Texas Tech has four players averaging double figures in scoring, led by Keenan Evans with 14.2 a game. Zach Smith is close behind, with a scoring average of 13.1. Both are juniors.
  • Seventy-five percent of Texas Tech’s rebounds this season have come on the defensive end, which leads the Big 12. This means teams are getting many second-chance opportunities on missed shots and places a premium on good shot selection and making shots.
  • The Red Raiders’ scoring has been stronger in the second half this season than in the first. This could be a problem for Oklahoma, which has struggled to produce points late in games. Texas Tech averages 41 second-half points and is outscoring its opponents by 141 points in the second half.

Game Prediction

Oklahoma must shoot better and score more if it want to steal a road win at Texas Tech. The Red Raiders play good, sound defense and are holding their opponents to 65 points per game. If the Sooners shoot well and minimize turnovers, they can win this game, and I believe they will.

Oklahoma 78, Texas Tech 73

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