Oklahoma basketball: Notable numbers from OU’s wreck of Tech
By Chip Rouse
As Trae Young goes, so goes Oklahoma basketball. It’s that simple, yet also that complicated.
You might be able to contain the Sooner superstar for a period of time, even a half, but as Texas Tech found out Tuesday night, holding the nation’s top scorer and chief distributor of the basketball down for a full game is another story indeed.
Young was held to just five points in a sluggish first half by the nation’s top-scoring team against an aggressive Texas Tech defense. The Sooners and their freshman team leader didn’t find their groove until after halftime, but when they did, it was Katy-bar-the-door for the Red Raiders of Texas Tech as OU handed the visitors a 75-65 defeat, snapping their three-game win streak and perfect record in Big 12 play.
Young’s line for the night was 27 points, nine assists and four steals in what has become a typical game performance for this first-year collegiate player who has the added comfort of playing before family and friends in his hometown.
Oklahoma’s 13-2 record is two games better than what the Sooners did all of last season, and their three Big 12 wins are just two shy of their win total in conference play a year ago.
Here are some more numbers that matter from the Sooners win Tuesday night over former co-conference leader Texas Tech:
1 of 12 – Trae Young’s shooting percentage in the first half against Texas Tech.
3 – Number of wins by the Sooners so far this season against teams ranked in the top 10.
5-4 – Oklahoma’s first lead of the game vs. Texas Tech, on a layup by Rashard Odomes three minutes into the game. It was the first time in four Big 12 games that the Red Raiders had trailed in a game.
6 – Number of Oklahoma opponents the Sooners have played this season who were either ranked at the time OU played them or were ranked at some point this season.
15 and 10 – Forced turnovers and blocked shots by Oklahoma on the defensive end against the Red Raiders in Tuesday’s OU win.
17-4 – Oklahoma run to start the second half, erasing a two-point halftime lead by Texas Tech.
25 – Trae Young has scored at least 25 points in 13 consecutive games, the longest such streak by a Division I player in the last two decades.
31 – The Sooners’ shooting percentage in the first half of Tuesday’s game with Texas Tech. The Red Raiders led 31-29 at the half.
56 – OU’s shooting percentage in the second half vs. Texas Tech (14 of 25) after shooting just 31 percent in the opening 20 minutes.
59 – Points allowed per game by Texas Tech entering its Tuesday night road contest at Oklahoma. The Sooners scored 75 in a 75-65 win.
65 – Texas Tech’s 65 points vs. Oklahoma is the lowest point total by a Sooner opponent this season.
335 – Number of days since Oklahoma last lost a home game at Lloyd Noble Center.