STARKVILLE, Miss.Ā ā Playing its first conference road game of the season, Oklahoma shot just 30.9% from the field and committed 13 turnovers ā its most in six outings ā in a 72-53 loss at Mississippi State on Wednesday inside Humphrey Coliseum. It was OU's first defeat since Dec. 6.
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The Sooners (11-4, 1-1) held the Bulldogs (10-5, 2-0) to 42.4% field goal and 13.3% (2 for 15) 3-point shooting, but were outscored 19-10 in second-chance points and 14-7 off turnovers to snap a five-game winning streak.
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OU, which entered the game ranked fourth in the SEC by averaging 10.5 3-point makes per contest, made a season-low three treys on 20 attempts (15.0%) and missed nine free throws (went 16 for 25).
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Guard
Xzayvier Brown and forward
Tae Davis led OU with 13 points and seven rebounds apiece, but went a combined 9 for 29 (31%) from the floor. Brown finished with a game-high four assists, the only Sooner to register a handout.
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Guard
Nijel Pack and forward
Derrion Reid added 11 points each, while guard
Jadon Jones chipped in with three and center
Mohamed Wague with two.
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Mississippi State guard Josh Hubbard finished with 30 points on 11-for-22 shooting. No other player for either team made more than five field goals on the night. Hubbard was 1 for 7 from 3-point range but 10 for 15 inside the arc. He also went 7 for 9 at the foul line.
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Both teams struggled offensively in the first half, with OU shooting 32.3% and MSU shooting 34.4%. The Sooners trailed by as many as eight points in the first 20 minutes at 23-15, but went on a 12-4 run over the final 4:12 for a 27-27 tie at the break.
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A Davis traditional three-point play with 15:57 left in the second half gave OU a 38-35 lead before the Bulldogs countered with an 8-0 run over the next three minutes to go up by five. After a Reid free throw, MSU scored six in a row to go up 49-39 midway through the half.
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With OU trailing by eight with seven minutes to go, Hubbard scored 12 of the Bulldogs' next 14 points to seal their sixth straight victory.
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Oklahoma had registered single-digit turnovers in five straight games heading into Wednesday. It was tied for the third-longest streak by an SEC team in the last 30 years.
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The Sooners are back in action Saturday at Texas A&M (12-3, 2-0). The 2:30 p.m. CT game will be televised by SEC Network.