No. 25 Oklahoma ends 3-game skid
November 28, 2009
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP)—Coming off three straight losses, Oklahoma coach JeffCapel was happy to get a win. Any win.
But he’s also realistic.
“This doesn’t fix all of our problems,” Capel said Saturday, after the No.25 Sooners (3-3) beat winless Nicholls State 81-60 to place fifth at the GreatAlaska Shootout, a tournament in which Oklahoma was the only ranked team.
The Sooners lost three games this week, falling at Virginia Commonwealth onNov. 21 and dropping games to San Diego and Houston in the tournament.
“We’re not as good as everyone thought we were,” Capel said. “Maybe notas good as our guys thought we were.”
Things didn’t look good for Oklahoma early, when scrappy Nicholls State(0-8) twice built comfortable leads in the first half, including a 39-32advantage with 1:22 left. But Cade Davis hit a 3-pointer and made two freethrows to bring the Sooners within 39-37 at the break.
Nicholls State went ahead 48-41 with 16:57 left before Oklahoma went on an10-0 run and took the lead on a dunk by Tiny Gallon with 14:51 left in the game.After Nicholls State regained the lead at 51-50 on a 3-pointer by Chris Iles,Davis hit a 3-pointer at the 12:59 minute mark and the Sooners never trailedagain.
“Oklahoma jacked up the intensity, and we got a bit rattled,” said AnatolyBose, who finished with 12 for the Colonels.
Gallon, a 6-foot-9, 290-pound freshman, scored all of his 15 points in thesecond half. He also had 12 rebounds, and when Gallon wasn’t pounding the ballinside, Davis was hitting from the outside. Davis scored 11 of his game-high 18points in the second half, finishing 4 of 9 on 3-point attempts.
“The ball looks like it’s going in every time it leaves his hands,” saidNicholls State coach J.P. Piper.
Capel said shooting wasn’t the biggest contribution from Davis on Saturday.
“Cade is a guy that shoots the basketball, but his biggest impact was hisenergy,” Capel said. “He stepped up as far as leadership was concerned.”
Three other Sooners were in double figures: Tony Crocker and Steven Pledgerwith 14 apiece, and Tommy Mason-Griffin with 10. Dominic Friend and Fred Hunterboth had 14 to pace the Colonels.