NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -- J.R. Raymond continues to make his coach
look good.
Raymond scored 25 points Saturday, including 20 in the first
half when No. 24 Oklahoma opened a big lead, and the Sooners went on to
beat Nebraska 77-66.
Raymond has scored 25, 21 and 25 points in the three games since
coach Kelvin Sampson moved him to point guard last weekend. He had
totaled just 23 points in the previous seven games.
"Moving J.R. to the point has really energized our basketball
team and it's energized J.R.," Sampson said. "From our
perspective, it's working. Sometimes I don't know why or how, I
just try not to screw it up."
Raymond made all six of his 3-pointers in the first half, then
helped seal the victory late by making five free throws in the
final minute.
"I felt like everything I put up was going in, and it did
mostly," Raymond said.
Aaron McGhee scored 20 for the Sooners (15-4, 4-3 Big 12), who
saw Nebraska cut the lead to five with about five minutes to play.
Nolan Johnson scored eight of his 11 points in the final 3 1/2
minutes to help keep Oklahoma in control.
Cookie Belcher scored 21 for Nebraska (9-10, 2-4). The
Cornhuskers have lost seven of their past nine games and didn't
help themselves in this one, missing 15 of 27 free throws including
10 of their final 14.
Nebraska started out well, scoring on its first five
possessions. But the Cornhuskers were just 3-of-12 from the field
in the next 14 minutes, with nine turnovers.
Oklahoma, on the other hand, outscored the Cornhuskers 14-0
during part of that stretch on its way to a 42-20 lead.
"Oklahoma's run there in the first half was just a great run
for them and buried us," coach Barry Collier said. "We had to
scramble to even have a chance in the second half, which I thought
was better. But Oklahoma dictated the game by the way they played
during that run in the middle of the first half."
Oklahoma led by 16 at halftime and still seemed to have things
well in hand when Daryan Selvy's basket made the score 60-42 with
11:27 remaining.
Then Belcher got hot, scoring eight points in a 12-2 run that
got the Cornhuskers to within 62-54. It might have been even
closer, had Nebraska not missed six of eight free throws during
that stretch.
A 3-pointer by Rodney Fields with 4:03 remaining made the score
64-59, but that was as close as the Cornhuskers would get.
Collier said the free throw shooting was a disappointment, but,
"We'd be better off trying to fix the problem in the first half.
"The run they had in the first half was not something we'd seen
a lot of, and our team just was not able to get anything going for
a stretch."
The victory was Oklahoma's third straight after two consecutive
losses that crimped their conference hopes.
"I look at what this team's done in the last seven days,"
Sampson said. "We've won three in a row. We had a great road win
at Kansas State, then two wins over two good teams. I think our
team is getting better. We're better than we were a week ago, and I
like that."
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ALSO SEE
Men's College Basketball Scoreboard
Nebraska Clubhouse
Oklahoma Clubhouse
AUDIO/VIDEO
 OU's Hollis Price misses the fastbreak layup, but J.R. Raymond is able to get a swift tip-in to fall.
avi: 976 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
OU's Aaron McGhee takes it strong to the hole with a reverse layup.
avi: 744 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
OU's J.R. Raymond rifles in a fallaway three-pointer.
avi: 1203 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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