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Baylor-Oklahoma Preview

Feb 26, 2010 - 6:23 PM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Baylor (21-6) at Oklahoma (13-14), 1:30 p.m. EDT

Baylor snapped a 30-game losing streak to Oklahoma when the teams met last month in Waco.

On Saturday, the 24th-ranked Bears get a chance for their first win in Norman in more than 32 years when they go for the first season series sweep in this matchup since 1954-55.

Led by 28 points from junior guard LaceDarius Dunn and Tweety Carter's 18 points, 10 assists and seven boards, Baylor (21-6, 8-5 Big 12) routed Oklahoma 91-60 on Jan. 9 for its first win in this matchup since a 75-67 victory in Norman on Dec. 6, 1977.

"Well the first thing we said in the locker room was that was for all our old players and old coaches that haven't had a chance to beat OU in a long time," Baylor coach Scott Drew told the teams' official Web site after the Bears' largest margin of victory against Oklahoma. "That was one of the last thorns we needed to get out of our side."

Baylor will try to remove another thorn by snapping a 14-game slide in Norman. Oklahoma, though, is trying to avoid its first three-game losing streak since Feb. 17-26, 2007.

In the teams' last meeting at the Lloyd Noble Center, the Bears fell to then-No. 6 Oklahoma 95-76 on Jan. 24 of last season. The Sooners have won their last five home games against Baylor by an average of 26.2 points.

The Bears, though, will play their first game at Oklahoma as a Top 25 team in large part to their stellar defensive play. Baylor is third in the Big 12 in scoring defense (64.9) and second in field goal defense at 37.8 percent.

"This is the best Baylor team since I have been (at Oklahoma)," Sooners fourth-year coach Jeff Capel said after his team shot 35.7 percent in the Jan. 9 defeat. "They are different. What is different about them is defense. In my first three years here we always felt playing against them that we could get anything we wanted to offensively against them."

Michigan transfer Ekpe Udoh did not allow that in last month's matchup in Waco, scoring 14 points with eight rebounds and seven blocks. Udoh, a junior, is second in the Big 12 with 10.3 rebounds per game and averages a conference-best 4.3 blocks.

He needs four to break the Big 12 single-season record held by Iowa State's Kelvin Cato (118) in 1996-97.

While Baylor continues its push for a top four finish in the league standings and a first-round bye in the Big 12 tournament, Oklahoma (13-14, 4-9) is likely on the verge of missing the NCAAs for the first time in three seasons unless it wins the conference tournament.

Back home following a 81-68 loss at No. 1 Kansas on Monday, the Sooners will look to avoid their first six-game losing streak since Feb. 13-March 3, 2007.

Oklahoma, though, will be without leading scorer Willie Warren, who according to Capel, is expected to be sidelined with a sprained ankle until at least the beginning of the Big 12 tournament March 10.

With Warren out, Capel will likely need another big scoring effort from freshman guard Tommy Mason-Griffin, who is averaging 20.5 points and 5.3 assists in the last four games.

Oklahoma is 35-6 all-time against Baylor, with a 26-1 record in Big 12 play.