Tulsa World: No simple task

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No simple task
Pesky Huskers make Sooners work, especially in first half

OU's Blake Griffin is met by Nebraska's Ade Dagunduro on Wednesday night in Norman. CORY YOUNG/Tulsa World

By GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer
Published: 1/22/2009 2:28 AM
Last Modified: 8/20/2009 9:19 AM

NORMAN — Jeff Capel tried warning everyone that Wednesday night would be no picnic for his sixth-ranked Oklahoma Sooners. Not with all those red ants from Nebraska creeping into the Lloyd Noble Center.

Sure enough, the pesky, undersized Huskers made it miserable for OU much of the time, before oversized Blake Griffin and the Sooners pulled out a 72-61 victory.

Griffin came up with 27 points and 18 rebounds, 16 and 11 during a second half in which OU overcame a 38-32 deficit. Austin Johnson added 15 points and his third straight game full of clutch plays. The Sooners improved to 18-1 overall and 4-0 in the Big 12 Conference.

The Huskers dropped to 12-5 and 2-2, but only after showing 40 minutes of guts.

"Our guys fought, man," Nebraska coach Doc Sadler said. "Our guys fought hard."

You didn't have to tell the Sooners that. They spent much of Wednesday's game on the court against five Husker guards, against a team whose leading rebounder averages 4.5. Griffin, by comparison, averages 13.4.

Still, Nebraska compensated.

"That team... We knew coming in, the coaches talked about that was going to be the hardest team," Johnson said. "They're gonna work the hardest, pressure the hardest, come out and guard the hardest. They're gonna be flying out to you."

Thus, the Huskers were able to double down on Griffin and still recover to hound OU shooters after Griffin's kickouts. That helped explain how the Sooners made just five of their last 20 3-point tries.

Sadler mixed in a little triangle-and-2 against Blake and frontcourt mate Taylor Griffin, trying whatever he could to offset some long physical odds.

At the other end of the court, for a half anyway, Nebraska's guards spread the floor and made shots. Ryan Anderson was especially effective, scoring 17 of his 19 points to help the Huskers to that 38-32 halftime lead.

Sadler might have ridden his strategies all the way to an upset, had a few things not occurred in the second half.

"Blake did a better job getting deep position," Capel said, "and we did a better job getting movement and getting the ball to him in that position."

Then there was Johnson's effect. The senior point guard calmly sank a 3-pointer after the Huskers rolled with Griffin after the big man's pick with 6:36 remaining. That provided the Sooners a 56-53 lead they would not relinquish, thanks to an 11-2 run over the next five minutes.

Johnson's line on the night included five assists, three rebounds and just one turnover, besides his third straight double-figure scoring effort. He also helped clamp down on Nebraska's guards defensively, which explained how the Huskers went from shooting 50 percent in the first half to 31 (9-of-29) in the second.

"We competed," Griffin explained. "The first half, we were just kind of out there playing, kind of going through the motions. The second half, we came out with a plan to really get after it defensively and hit shots offensively."

When the Sooners executed that plan, they were able to survive something they knew wouldn't be easy.

"They're tough. They defend you. They scrap. Doc Sadler does a good job. They game plan really well," Capel said earlier this week by way of a scouting report.

The tune didn't change any late Wednesday night.

"They play hard. They cut hard," Capel said. "They scramble. What they lack in size they make up for in how physical they play."

The Sooners weren't always pretty in becoming college basketball's first 18-game winner this season. They'd take it, nonetheless, gladly.

Guerin Emig 581-8355
guerin.emig@tulsaworld.com

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To see all of the Tulsa World slide shows, go to tulsaworld.com/photos. By GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer

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	Report Comment Arbythree, Tulsa (1/22/2009 10:32:49 AM) Going to be a great year. BOOMER SOONER!!
	Report Comment MaintenanceMan, Tulsa (1/22/2009 2:49:33 PM) Put another in the W column. Boomer!!!

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