No one said it would be easy.

Both were on display as the Sooners played a full game for the first time this season without Griffin, their super freshman.

Oklahoma and Texas Tech both struggled to make shots before Blake's older brother, Taylor Griffin, rescued OU in the second half of a 63-61 victory over Tech on Saturday at Lloyd Noble Center.

"It was difficult to score out there," said Tech coach Bobby Knight. "There were not a lot of easy buckets."

The Sooners, with a big size advantage on the interior even without Blake Griffin, owned the Red Raiders on the boards (winning the rebounds 40-27).

Once OU settled into an offensive rhythm, the Sooners were able to get away for the victory.

"It was a good win for us," said OU coach Jeff Capel. "It was a win we really needed.

"Now, we get a break for a week and we need it. It'll be good for us to get some guys healthy before we have to go down to Baylor."

Blake Griffin will not be among those getting well in time to play against the Bears.

No one knows for sure how long Griffin will be out.

However long, it'll be a struggle for Oklahoma. The Sooners are a different team without the younger Griffin dominating the interior.

"We know we are going to get Blake back at some point this season," Capel said. "We just don't know when that will be.

"So, we have to figure out a way to win games. Whatever it takes to win, we have to figure a way. That's what I wrote on the blackboard before the game."

On this night, Oklahoma was good enough. Texas Tech was bad enough.

Still, the Red Raiders had a shot at the end to either tie or win the game.

"If we make it we win," Knight said. "If we miss it, they win.

"It was a tough game. It was a tough game both ways. It is tougher when you lose."

It was Oklahoma's first Big 12 Conference victory of the season and was an uplifting start to what figures to be a struggle without Griffin.

The Sooners, 13-5, get a week off before the trip down to Baylor.

That figures to be a difficult game. Well, actually, all of them will be difficult as long as Griffin stays sidelined.

OU has three road games (Baylor, Texas A&M and Colorado) in the next five. The home games are against Oklahoma State and Texas.

"We showed some maturity in those last eight minutes of this game," said Taylor Griffin, who had 16. "That's something we're going to have to keep doing in conference play.

"He's (Blake) an incredible player. We're going to miss him. It is going to be hard without him."

Yes, that's pretty obvious.

The Sooners trailed for much of Saturday's game before Taylor Griffin ignited an OU run in the final eight minutes.

Griffin and the Sooners finally found enough offense down the stretch to put away the Red Raiders.

Texas Tech, a blowout loser at Oklahoma State a week earlier, was coming off an upset of Texas A&M in Lubbock earlier in the week.

However, the Red Raiders could not find the bucket in the second half. They hit just nine shots in the final 20 minutes.

That was enough of a drought to allow Oklahoma to run past Tech in the final moments.

Up until late in the game, it appeared the Sooners might let a home game get away from them.

Texas Tech led 26-23 at halftime and led for the first 12 minutes of the second half.

The Sooners were especially sloppy in the first half, committing nine turnovers.

"When I saw those stats it was shocking and alarming," Capel said. "Some of our turnovers in the first half were mind boggling."