No. 22 MBB Falls to No. 18 Oklahoma, 73-63

Saturday, January 3

Norman, Okla.

3:00 PM

Baylor

11-2, 0-1

Oklahoma

10-3, 1-0

Baylor

Oklahoma

No. 22 MBB Falls to No. 18 Oklahoma, 73-63

1/3/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

63
BAYLOR
(11-2, 0-1)

1ST	2ND	F
33	30	63
37	36	73

Box Score | Notes | Photo Gallery

Norman, Okla. ? Attendance: 7,560

73
OKLAHOMA
(10-3, 1-0)

THE RUNDOWN
NORMAN, Okla. - TaShawn Thomas scored 24 points to help No. 18 Oklahoma beat No. 22 Baylor 73-63 on Saturday.

Thomas, a senior who transferred from the University of Houston before the season, made 11 of 17 shots and grabbed eight rebounds.

Buddy Hield had 20 points and 10 rebounds and Isaiah Cousins added 19 points for the Sooners (10-3, 1-0 Big 12), who won their third straight in the conference opener for both teams.

Freshman Johnathan Motley scored a season-high 24 points and Taurean Prince added 17 for Baylor (11-2, 0-1), which had won six straight. The Bears shot 46 percent in the first half, but just 29 percent after the break.

Baylor, which had held opponents to 55 points per game, allowed its highest point total of the season. Oklahoma made 21 of 25 free throws, while Baylor made just 12 of 18.

Baylor led 23-16 in the first half, but Hield hit back-to-back 3-pointers, pushing the ball after defensive rebounds and shooting before Baylor could set its defense to give the Sooners a 24-23 lead. Oklahoma led 37-33 at halftime behind 12 points from Thomas and 11 from Cousins. Prince and Motley each scored 12 points in the first half for Baylor.

Baylor made just one of its first seven shots after the break, and Oklahoma took a 46-37 lead on a 3-pointer by Cousins. The Sooners extended their lead to nine on a 3-pointer by Hield, and he drained another three with just over 6 minutes to play to push Oklahoma's lead to 58-46.

HIGHLIGHTS
? Baylor out-scored OU 18-2 in bench points, falling to 5-1 on the year when scoring more bench points than its opponent.
? Johnathan Motley (career-high 24 points) scored in double figures for the 6th time this season (BU is 5-1 in those games). It was his 2nd career 20-point game.
? Rico Gathers (game-high 12 rebounds) had his Big 12-leading 11th double-figure rebounding game of the season and 25th of his career - BU is 20-5 in those games.
? Taurean Prince (17 points) scored in double figures for a team-high 9th time this season. It was his 21st career double-figure scoring game, and BU is 16-5 in those games.
? Prince's 17 points were the most by a Baylor reserve this season.
? Prince tied his career high with 4 three-pointers made - he also had 4 treys against Memphis on Nov. 27, 2014.
? Prince (30 minutes) played 30+ minutes for the 5th time this season after not doing so at all in his first two seasons at Baylor.
? Kenny Chery had 6 assists and 3 turnovers, improving to 27 assists and 8 turnovers in 4 games since returning to the starting lineup - he's had at least 6 assists in all 4 of those games.
? Lester Medford tied his career high with 3 treys made - he also hit 3 three-pointers against McNeese State and Texas Southern.