Three-pointers give Sooners a lift
Posted on Sunday, December 16, 2007
NORMAN, Okla. — Firing up more three-pointers than the previous two games combined wasn’t on Oklahoma’s pregame to-do list.
But it turned out to be an effective formula in the Sooners’ 83-72 victory over Arkansas at Lloyd Noble Center on Saturday.
Eleven of Oklahoma’s 28 field goals came from three-point range. The Sooners’ 25 three-point attempts were one more than they took against Tulsa (10 ) and Stephen F. Austin (14 ). In the latter game, a 66-62 loss, Oklahoma made just two shots from beyond the threepoint line.
That 14 percent success rate wasn’t going to cut it against the Razorbacks. So improved shooting from the perimeter by Tony Crocker (3 for 8 on three-pointers ), Austin Johnson (2 for 6 ) and reserve Omar Leary (4 for 4, all in the first half ) helped offset Oklahoma allowing 24 offensive rebounds.
“No, it was not a plan. Just let it come,” said Johnson, who shared the team lead with 17 points. “Coach [Jeff Capel ] wants us to get it inside as much as we can and let it play inside and out.”
The first half was more outside in. The Sooners made 7 of 18 threepointers in taking a 45-39 lead. That meant fewer touches for post players Longar Longar and Blake Griffin.
The tone set by Leary, especially in the first half, seemed to open up Griffin (11 points ) and especially Longar, a senior who took over in the final 3: 20 by scoring eight of his 17 points.
“Teams are going to double us, and we understand that. It gives us open looks down there,” Longar said. “And if they don’t double us, we’re going to score, and if they do, we’ll kick it back up to the guards.”
Capel wanted more offense in the lane after halftime and got it. But the outside shots kept falling. The Sooners hit four of their seven three-point attempts in the second half. “We think we have some guys on the perimeter that can play. If you look at those guys’ percentages, they’re making threes at a pretty good percentage,” Capel said. “We feel like we can make shots. Are we a good shooting team ? I’m not going as far as saying that right now. But we feel like if we take good shots we’re capable of making shots.”
Crocker, a 52 percent shooter for the season, rallied after missing all four of his shots in the second half. Some of the Sooners’ threepoint magic was pure luck. One of Leary’s swished the net from the extreme corner with the shot clock nearing zero. And Capel admitted his shooters were helped by getting some open looks.
That was little solace for the Razorbacks.
“I didn’t really think too many of them were just uncontested. I thought we were there,” Arkansas Coach John Pelphrey said. “That three-point line, boy, on a given night, it can beat you. We could have done a better job defending it, but give them credit. They made some shots with us in their face.”
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