NCAA News Wire
Oklahoma 97, TCU 67
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
FORT WORTH, Texas — The Oklahoma Sooners locked down the No. 2 seed in the Big 12 Tournament by taking care of business at last-place TCU.
Sooners guard Buddy Hield scored 24 points to lead the way as No. 23 Oklahoma stomped the Horned Frogs 97-67 on Saturday at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.
Hield hit a 3-pointer at the first-half buzzer and two more early in the second half, helping Oklahoma (22-8, 12-6 Big 12) establish a 24-point lead with 15:09 left.
The Sooners, who came into the game tied with Texas for second in the Big 12, swept the Longhorns, giving Oklahoma the No. 2 seed in the Big 12 Tournament beginning Wednesday in Kansas City.
Oklahoma also finished off TCU’s winless trek through the Big 12 regular season. The Horned Frogs (9-21, 0-18) have won two games in their first two seasons in the Big 12.
Hield hit 5 of 8 3-pointers on his way to a game-high 24 points and forward Cameron Clark had 18, as did guard Isaiah Cousins. The Sooners shot 51 percent from the field, made 14 3-poiners and out-rebounded TCU 44-30.
TCU senior forward Jarvis Ray led the Horned Frogs with 18 points and guard Kyan Anderson added 17.
Oklahoma reserve forward Tyler Neal hit a 3-pointer at the 11:29 mark of the first half to cap the Sooners’ 14-3 run that gave them their first double-digit lead at 23-13.
The Sooners threatened to run away in the first half, pushing their lead to 13 points when forward Ryan Spangler scored on an assist from Clark. But TCU pushed back with 3-pointers by forward Brandon Parrish and Anderson.
It took until a surge at the end of the first half for Oklahoma to exert firm control. Cousins hit a 3-pointer with 1:15 left, Clark knocked down a jumper from just outside the lane and Hield nailed a 3-pointer at the first-half buzzer to finish an 8-0 run and give the Sooners a 15-point lead at the break.
Both teams shot well in the first half, but TCU’s 43 percent from the field couldn’t keep up with Oklahoma shooting 57 percent. The Sooners also out-rebounded the Horned Frogs 19-11.
Oklahoma’s balanced scoring showed up in the first half as Hield finished the first 20 minutes with 13 points, Spangler and Clark each had 10 and Cousins scored eight.
NOTES: Oklahoma holds a 13-2 advantage in the series against TCU, but the last two have been battles. The Sooners lost at TCU last season, then shook off TCU in the final three minutes for a 77-69 win over the Horned Frogs in Norman, Okla., earlier this season. … Oklahoma won four of five before Saturday, making at least 10 3-pointers in all four wins. … TCU entered the game with a 2-34 record in its first two seasons in the Big 12. The victories, both last season, were a 62-55 victory over No. 5 Kansas and a 70-67 defeat of Oklahoma in the regular-season finale. … TCU was playing its final game in Daniel-Meyer Coliseum for the next 18 months as a $59-million renovation will begin immediately after the season.
