Live In-Game Updates: No. 21 Baylor Bears Take on Oklahoma Sooners
After three straight wins, No. 21 Baylor (13-5, 3-3) is headed to the Lloyd Noble Center to play Oklahoma (11-7, 2-4), with an eye on improving to 4-3 in Big 12 play.
The Bears started out slow in the nation's best conference, but have since gone on a tear, winning three straight over West Virginia, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. Now ranked No. 16 in KenPom – fourth-best in the Big 12 – they're looking to improve to over .500 against conference foes.
The recent winning streak has been in large part thanks to Keyonte George, who dropped 32 points on West Virginia and 27 points on Texas Tech. In the past three games, George is averaging 22.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists on 48.7 percent shooting from the field and 48 percent from behind the arc.
Oklahoma, meanwhile, is 2-4 in conference play and is coming off a 72-56 loss against rival Oklahoma State in Stillwater. Still, they rank No. 40 overall in KenPom thanks to an efficient scoring attack and stiff strength of schedule.
The Sooners have found offensive success this year by slowing the game down (they rank 322nd in offensive pace) and spreading out the scoring load among several players. As a team, they're shooting 48.9 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from three, and only Grant Sherfield is scoring more than 10.2 points per game.
Under-16: Baylor 8, Oklahoma 4. Flo Thamba feasted on the boards early, snagging three rebounds in the first 1:50 of play. He and Sooners forward Tanner Groves lead all scorers with four points.
Under-12: Baylor 14, Oklahoma 11. Backcourt play buoyed the Bears, as guards LJ Cryer, Langston Love and Adam Flagler all scored since the last break in play. Neither team has gotten it going from behind the arc, however; they're a combined 1/10, with Sooners star Grant Sherfield recording the lone make from deep.
Under-8: Oklahoma 21, Baylor 20. Oklahoma surged into the lead, as Milos Uzan assisted Tanner Groves on multiple three-pointers and the Bears hit just two field goals. Adam Flagler leads Baylor scorers with seven points.
Under-4: Oklahoma 28, Baylor 22. Grant Sherfield has finally turned it on for the Sooners, as he's up to eight points on 3/4 shooting (2/3 from beyond the arc). The Bears have uncharacteristically struggled on the back end of the first half, shooting 0/3 with two turnovers since the last TV timeout.
HALFTIME: Oklahoma 30, Baylor 26. The Bears scored just six points in the final 8 1/2 minutes of the first half, as the Sooners passed them up en route to a four-point lead. Baylor hasn't consistently made shots from anywhere – they're 10/28 from the field, 1/8 from three and 5/8 from the line. Adam Flagler leads the Bears in scoring with seven points.
Under-16: Oklahoma 38, Baylor 35. After shooting 35.7 percent from the field in the first half, the Bears' shots (finally) started falling. Notably, Keyonte George scored five points after shooting 0/4 in the first half. A Sooner putback dunk after a failed alley-oop sent the game to the break.
Under-12: Oklahoma 43, Baylor 41. Bit by bit, Baylor is inching its way back into this game. A Langston Love jumper gave the Bears the lead the first time since 8:14 in the first half, though the Sooners scored on consecutive possessions to take it right back. Adam Flagler leads all scorers with 13 points.
Under-8: Oklahoma 45, Baylor 43. Scoring was optional in the past few minutes, as the Bears shot 0/5 and the Sooners turned the ball over twice. With a home showdown against Kansas looming on Monday, these final eight minutes could be highly consequential.
Under-4: Baylor 56, Oklahoma 54. Jalen Bridges proves yet again to have the clutch gene, hitting back-to-back three-pointers to put the Bears in front. The Sooners will have possession coming out of the break.
FINAL: Baylor 62, Oklahoma 60. Baylor improves to 4-3 in Big 12 play after winning a nailbiter in Norman. The final five minutes of the game saw Jalen Bridges hit three three-pointers to keep the Bears in the game, and Adam Flagler drilled a dagger at the end to put them up for good. Baylor is set to host No. 2 Kansas (16-3, 5-2) on Monday.
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