GAME PREVIEW
Oklahoma (10-6 overall, 1-1 Big 12) goes for its ninth home win without a loss when it hosts Missouri (14-3, 2-0) Saturday at noon CST. The Sooners, who have won 28 of their last 29 games at Lloyd Noble Center, are coming off a 62-57 home overtime victory against Oklahoma State on Monday. Missouri, which is 1-2 in true road games, posted a 94-89 overtime win at Texas Tech on Wednesday for its ninth straight triumph. Saturday's contest will air on the Sooner Radio Network with Bob Barry Sr. and Mike Houck announcing. It will be televised nationally by ESPN2 with Ron Franklin and Fran Fraschilla calling the action.
TICKET INFORMATION
A limited number of tickets are available for $25 and $10 at the OU Athletics Ticket Office (800-456-4668). Lloyd Noble Center's north and east box offices will open Saturday at 10 a.m.
CHEER LIKE A CHAMPION DAY
All fans are encouraged to wear white as Saturday marks "Cheer Like a Champion Day" at Lloyd Noble Center. The first 2,000 fans in the building will receive a white "Cheer Like a Champion" T-shirt.
PREVIEWING MISSOURI
Missouri enters Saturday's contest with 14-3 overall and 2-0 Big 12 records. In league play, MU beat Kansas State at home (74-68) last Saturday and Texas Tech on the road (94-89 in overtime) on Wednesday. The Tigers average 83.5 points a game (rank third in Big 12), shoot .465 from the field (rank seventh), .398 from 3-point range (rank fifth) and .720 from the free throw line (rank third). They give up 63.5 points a contest (rank fifth) and allow opponents to shoot just .389 from the field (rank fourth) and .289 from behind the arc (rank first). Missouri also forces 21.5 turnovers per outing (most in the nation) and leads the Big 12 with its 12.6 steals per game (Texas ranks second with 8.9).
The Tigers boast a balanced scoring attack, with six players averaging more than 8.0 points a game. Sophomore guard Kim English leads three players who average double figures in scoring. English pours in 15.7 points an outing with the help of .394 3-point shooting (2.3 makes per game). English, who had 20 points and 10 boards at Texas Tech, adds 1.8 steals. Fellow sophomore guard Marcus Denmon, who also scored 20 points at Tech, averages 11.8 points a contest. One of the Big 12's top 3-point threats, Denmon is shooting .440 from behind the arc and makes 2.4 treys per game (ranks fourth in the league in both categories). Another sophomore, forward Laurence Bowers contributes 10.9 points (shooting .627 from the field) and 5.8 rebounds per outing.
Mike Anderson, who led Missouri to a 31-7 record, a Big 12 Championship title and an NCAA Tournament Elite Eight appearance last year, is 79-38 (.675) in his fourth season as the Tigers' head coach. He's in his eighth year overall and owns a 168-79 (.680) record.
OU-MISSOURI SERIES HISTORY
Oklahoma owns a 111-94 series advantage against Missouri and has won 12 of the last 18 meetings. The Sooners possess a 63-21 series lead in games played in Norman (21-6 at Lloyd Noble Center), but have lost two of the last three at home. Since the start of the Big 12 in 1996-97, OU is 12-8 against the Tigers (4-2 in Norman).
LAST YEAR AGAINST THE TIGERS
Missouri handed Oklahoma a 73-64 loss in Columbia last March, one of just six OU defeats on the year. The Tigers wrapped up a perfect 18-0 home season despite getting outrebounded by a 49-35 margin (the Sooners grabbed 21 offensive rebounds). Mizzou forced 22 turnovers while committing just nine, and outscored OU 23-6 in the points-off-turnovers category. Blake Griffin led OU with 16 points and 21 rebounds while Taylor Griffin added 14 points and eight boards. Willie Warren was held to seven points on 3-for-11 shooting (1-for-6 from behind the arc), but handed out a game-high six assists. DeMarre Carroll and Leo Lyons each scored 15 points for Missouri, while J.T. Tiller added 13. The Sooners' only lead was 2-0.
HOME IS WHERE THE "W" IS
Oklahoma has won nine straight games at Lloyd Noble Center and 28 of its last 29. The Sooners, who went 16-1 in Norman last year, are 8-0 this season and 448-73 (.860) since the building opened in 1975. OU is 21-6 (.778) against Missouri at Lloyd Noble Center.
