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Griffin powers Oklahoma to easy win

Nov 18, 2008 - 6:03 AM NORMAN, Oklahoma (Ticker) -- Oklahoma overpowered its second straight opponent on Monday. Up next is a team that may put up a little more resistance.

Blake Griffin had his second straight monster double-double with 20 points and 19 rebounds as No. 14 Oklahoma crushed Mississippi Valley State, 94-53, in the NIT Season Tip-Off on Monday.

Freshmen Willie Warren and Ray Willis each scored 14 points for the Sooners (2-0), who will play 21st-ranked Davidson (2-0) in the second round of the tournament on Tuesday. The Wildcats advanced with a 99-64 victory over James Madison.

Griffin shot 8-of-9 from the floor - scoring mostly on wide-open dunks - and added six steals.

"Davidson is a great team, as you guys saw," Griffin said. "We are going to have to be physical and execute well and really do a better job in the first half than we did today. We have to give Stephen Curry attention and try to help out our guards and stay after it defensively.

"This is what we want - teams that will come in here and be competitive, and really just play against guys like they have."

Mississippi Valley State missed 12 of its first 13 shots as Oklahoma built a 17-2 lead 10:09 into the contest.

"I thought we did some good things, especially on the defensive side of the ball," Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel said. "(We're) pleased with this win and have a very, very quick turnaround playing against a really, really good team tomorrow with a special, special player."

A sophomore forward, Griffin had 24 points and 18 rebounds in Oklahoma's season-opening victory over American on Friday and nearly had a double-double by halftime. The preseason Big 12 Conference Player of the Year had nine points and nine rebounds as Oklahoma held a 35-19 lead.

The Delta Devils scored the first basket of the second half but the Sooners answered with an 18-0 burst to take a 53-21 lead and erase any thoughts of a Mississippi Valley State comeback.

Shannon Behling scored 16 points to pace the Delta Devils (0-3), who were coming off a 76-25 setback to Washington State on Saturday.

"It has been a tough road trip and there is nothing bad that I can say about our guys right now," MVSU coach Sean Woods said. "We are battling as hard as we can. Anytime you go play Arizona State, then the next night travel to Washington State, who I think is the most underrated team in the league, then two days later you come here to play a team that has a lot to prove on national television ... that is tough."

Mississippi Valley State shot 32 percent (18-of-56) from the floor.