Feb. 11, 2006
Box Score
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) - Michael Neal set career highs with six 3-pointers and 18 points while Terrell Everett had 14 assists and No. 20 Oklahoma beat Baylor 80-52 on Saturday.
Everett's assist total was the highest of his career and the most since Michael Johnson tied the Oklahoma record with 18 against North Texas on Dec. 22, 1997. Johnson shares the record with Jan Pannell, who had 18 against Oklahoma City in 1983.
Everett's last assist was his most dramatic. Leading a fast break, he caromed the ball off the backboard to a trailing Taj Gray, who skied to slam the ball with two hands. He sat out the final 7:38 and didn't get a chance to challenge the record.
A scoreboard malfunction listed the score as 198-0 within the first 2 minutes, a sign of the blowout to come in Oklahoma's 24th straight win over the Bears (2-8, 2-8 Big 12).
Kevin Bookout scored six straight points - including two right-handed hook shots and a layup - and Neal followed with consecutive 3-pointers from the left side as the Sooners (16-5, 7-3) extended their lead to 50-19 in the opening minutes of the second half .
The Bears, who didn't play any nonconference games because of NCAA sanctions, went to a lineup featuring five reserves and pulled within 50-27 on a fast-break layup by walk-on Carl Sims. Baylor got as close as 55-34 when Curtis Jerrells stole the ball and streaked downcourt for a layup.
But Everett and Neal pushed the Sooners ahead again.
Neal hit a 3-pointer from the right side and Everett set up a layup and a dunk by Nate Carter on consecutive possessions. After another 3 by Neal, Everett rang up his 14th assist on the alley-oop to Gray.
Bookout finished with 15 points, freshman Taylor Griffin added 12 to set a career high for a second straight game and Gray had 10Starting point guard Austin Johnson walked to the locker room late in the first half with an injury to his right leg and did not return to the Oklahoma bench.
Jerrells scored 16 points to lead Baylor.
Neal broke an early tie with a 3-pointer from the left side that sparked a 17-2 run and put the Sooners ahead to stay. Griffin followed with four free throws and Carter corralled a low alley-oop pass, then went up for a layup to give the Sooners a 17-8 lead.
After Kevin Rogers of Baylor hit jumper, Gray scored on a fast-break layup, Neal added another 3 and Griffin tipped in a missed free throw by Carter to give the Sooners a 25-10 lead.
Gray added a two-handed dunk and a layup off an inbounds pass from Everett, and Carter hit two free throws to give the Sooners a 22-point lead with 3 minutes left in the half.
The Bears shot 4-for-21 (19 percent) and trailed 38-17 at halftime. It was the second straight game Oklahoma held an opponent to four first-half field goals.
