Dunn scores 21, Udoh has 20 points, 7 blocks as Baylor beats Oklahoma 70-63, ending long skid

Dunn’s 21, Udoh’s 20 lift Baylor past Oklahoma

NORMAN, Okla. — Ekpe Udoh had 20 points and seven blocked shots playing in his home state and No. 24 Baylor beat Oklahoma 70-63 on Saturday, its first win over the Sooners in Norman since December 1977.

LaceDarius Dunn scored 21 points for Baylor (22-6, 9-5 Big 12) which until this season hadn’t beaten Oklahoma (13-15, 4-10) since the Big 12 came into existence with the 1996-97 season. But Saturday’s win gave the Bears a season sweep of the slumping Sooners for the first time since the 1954-55 season.

Tiny Gallon had 23 points and 15 rebounds for Oklahoma, which has lost six straight games and nine of 11. The Sooners, with two regular-season games left, are in danger of posting their first losing season since since 1980-81, Billy Tubbs’ debut season as Oklahoma’s coach.

The 6-foot-10 Udoh, from nearby Edmond, has 122 blocked shots this season, a new conference record. Kelvin Cato of Iowa State set the previous record of 118 during the 1996-97 season.

Udoh also dominated offensively, finishing 9 of 14 from the field and providing an inside complement to the outside shooting of Dunn, who went 5 of 9 from 3-point range. Baylor has won five of its last six games and seven of nine.

Oklahoma played without leading scorer Willie Warren, who coach Jeff Capel said is out for the rest of the regular season — and possibly beyond — with a nagging ankle injury. The Sooners, who entered the game leading the Big 12 in made 3-pointers per game, went 2 of 18 from behind the arc.

Gallon’s double-double was the seventh of his freshman season for the Sooners.

The Sooners led 56-55 with 4:59 left after a three-point play by Ryan Wright, whose dunk brought Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops, who was sitting courtside, to his feet. Wright tied the game at 57 with a free throw with 4:18 left, but Dunn’s 3-pointer from the corner with 4 minutes left put the Bears ahead for good at 60-57, although they never pulled away.

Oklahoma pulled to 62-61 with 2:26 left, but didn’t score for more than two minutes, partially because of two blocked shots by Udoh. Quincy Acy’s free throws put Baylor up 66-61 with 36.8 seconds left. Cade Davis’ put-back with 18.6 seconds left pulled the Sooners to 66-63.

Tweety Carter made two free throws for Baylor with 12.8 seconds left, and after Tommy Mason-Griffin missed a 3-point shot for Oklahoma, Acy made two more free throws to seal the win. Carter scored 10 points for the Bars, while Acy had nine points and nine rebounds.

Ryan Wright added 14 points for Oklahoma, which used only seven players and lost despite outrebounding the Bears 38-30. Mason-Griffin had eight points and eight assists for the Sooners.

Baylor rallied from an early 10-point deficit to lead 36-35 at halftime.

Gallon went 8 for 9 from the field and scored 17 first-half points for Oklahoma. The Sooners led 19-9 after a basket by Tony Crocker with 10:14 left in the half, but Dunn quickly heated up, scoring 10 points in a 2-minute span. Baylor took its first lead at 27-26 on Udoh’s jumper with 5 minutes left.