No. 6 Oklahoma Gets a Good Price Support

Hollis Price scored 24 points, 13 during a stretch in which Oklahoma scored on 14 consecutive possessions, and the No. 6-ranked Sooners defeated No. 18 Missouri, 84-71, Monday night at Norman, Okla.

Oklahoma (15-2, 4-1 Big 12 Conference), coming off a loss at then-No. 4 Kansas that ended a 13-game winning streak, shot 49% and had a 43-26 rebounding advantage to defeat Missouri for the eighth consecutive time.

The Tigers (14-5, 4-2) got 26 points from Clarence Gilbert, who made eight three-point baskets. That didn’t offset the Tigers’ lack of an inside game or an off game by Kareem Rush, the second-leading scorer in the Big 12 with a 19.6 average. He had 13 points but was only four of 15 from the field.

Price started slowly but the scoring of Quannas White and Daryan Selvy kept Oklahoma in the mix. Three three-point baskets by Gilbert in just over four minutes gave the Tigers a 23-19 lead with 6:51 left in the half.

A follow shot by Aaron McGhee started an Oklahoma run that saw the Sooners make 10 shots in a row and score on their final 11 possessions before halftime.

Price got going during that span, making two three-point baskets and scoring 10 points during the run, when the Sooners forced four of Missouri’s 18 turnovers and converted each into a basket.

Oklahoma scored on its first three possessions of the second half, capped by Price’s three-point basket for a 51-35 lead. The Sooners pushed the lead to 18 points a few minutes later and didn’t let Missouri get closer than 11 afterward.

White scored 14 points, McGhee had 13 and Selvy had 12.

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WOMEN’S TOP 25

No. 1 Connecticut 80, Notre Dame 53--Sue Bird scored 19 points and Tamika Williams had 17 for the Huskies (21-0, 7-0 Big East Conference) at Hartford, Conn.

Williams led a dominating inside game with 11 rebounds.

Notre Dame (10-7, 4-2), the defending national champion, made only two of 15 shots in the first 12 minutes. The Fighting Irish committed 10 turnovers in the first half, including their first three possessions.

Kelsey Wicks led Notre Dame with 16 points.

Wake Forest 65, No. 21 North Carolina 64--Adell Harris made two free throws with 12 seconds to play and the Demon Deacons pulled off the upset at Winston-Salem, N.C.

Tonia Brown had 16 points for Wake Forest (9-9, 3-5 Atlantic Coast).

North Carolina (14-5, 4-3) took a 64-63 lead with 20 seconds remaining after a steal and a layup by Nikita Bell.

Wake Forest shot 36% but had 26 offensive rebounds and 13 steals.

Leah Metcalf led the Tar Heels with 17 points, seven steals and five rebounds. Chrystal Baptist had 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Tiffani Listenbee had 13 points, 10 rebounds and four steals for Wake Forest.