Oklahoma's tough defense limited Kansas forwards Nick Collison and Drew Gooden to a combined 10 points in the first half Saturday, but the No. 5-ranked Sooners knew they would have a more difficult time in the second 20 minutes.
"We knew he was going to come out real aggressive," OU guard Hollis Price said of Gooden. "You hold a guy to four points in the first half and he's averaging 20, you know he's going to look for his shot."
Gooden didn't have to search for long, hitting five of his first six field goals after the break and combining with Collison to score 19 of the Jayhawks' first 24 points in the second half en route to a 74-67 Kansas victory.
"We've played some great teams," OU coach Kelvin Sampson said, "but I don't know if we've played anyone that attacks us on the post as well as Gooden or Collison. I felt good about our matchups on the perimeter, but Collison and Gooden are a different breed of cat."
The Sooners (14-2 overall, 3-1 Big 12 Conference) held KU to a season-low-tying 30 points in the first half, a mark KU set against Seton Hall in the Maui Invitational.
But KU opened the second half with a 24-8 run.
Foul trouble contributed to Oklahoma's interior problems, as sophomore center Jabari White picked up his third foul late in the first half.
"I think that took some of his aggressiveness away," Sampson said. "But he's a young kid and hadn't played a whole lot in these kind of situations, and I think this is something that will help him."
Down 57-35 with just over 12 minutes left, Oklahoma took advantage of Gooden and Collison resting on the bench and went on a 14-0 run.
"There was a sense of urgency," Price said. "You don't want to get embarrassed by a team. You come in the gym and you get blown out by 20, they'll think about that's not really a top-5 team"
Ebi Ere, the Preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year who averages 16.7 points per game, scored 10 points in the run, including two three-pointers.
The reigning conference rookie of the week scored just two points in the first half but finished with 17.
"I don't think Ebi competed in the first half," Sampson said. "He was giving a good effort, but I don't think he was competing. Now, the second half he played like he's played the whole year. That's the Ebi Ere that I've seen the whole year."
Point guard Quannas White twice drew the Sooners to within six with three-point plays in the final three minutes.
"I thought Quannas White really grew up tonight," Sampson said. "In this game we had to rely on our point guard play a little more because of the way Kansas was defending, us and it's good to know that you have one you can go to."
The Sooners couldn't finish the comeback attempt and extend a 13-game winning streak even with White's development, but they didn't get down on themselves.
"We'd not like to have dug ourselves so much of a hole," Sampson said, "but I was really encouraged by the way we played the last 10 minutes. We'll go back and get ready for our next game and know we've got a very good team."
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