Lawson, Martin lift Memphis to 99-94 OT win over Oklahoma (Dec 17, 2016)
NORMAL, Okla. (AP) Dedric Lawson scored 26 points and pulled down 12 rebounds for his ninth double-double of the season, and Jeremiah Martin added a season-high 25 points as Memphis rallied from a double-digit halftime deficit for a 99-94 overtime victory over Oklahoma on Saturday.
Markel Crawford added 20 points, and KJ Lawson scored 19 points and hauled in 13 rebounds for Memphis (8-3), which trailed by 11 points with 14 minutes to play.
''To come into a Big 12 house against Oklahoma - a Big 12 powerhouse - it's great for us and the confidence of our guys to see that we can get these type of wins when we need it,'' Lawson said. ''This is what we need to get us going toward January.''
In matchup between the only two coaches in NCAA history to take five different teams to the NCAA Tournament, Memphis (8-3) scored 52 points in the paint, 32 of which came in the second half, and took their first lead of the game with less than a minute to play.
''That's the strength of our team. We're an inside-out team,'' Lawson said. ''It's either going through me or other guys attacking and going to the hole. That's our style of play at the end of the day, just attacking.''
Memphis shot 87.5 percent (28-for-32) from the free-throw line, including 13-for-13 in the final minute of regulation and overtime.
Oklahoma guard Jordan Woodard, who finished with 22 points, banked in a game-tying 3-pointer with 0.6 remaining to send the game into overtime. Jordan Shepherd scored 18 points in the first start of his career, and Jamuni McNeace had 13 points and nine rebounds off the bench. Christian James added 15 points for Oklahoma (6-4), which has now lost three of its past four games.
''We gave up a lot of buckets right at the rim,'' Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger said. ''You can't afford to do that against a good ball club. . Just too many at the rim, too many in the paint: We have to do a better job of getting it out of there.''
BIG PICTURE
Memphis picked up the biggest victory of its non-conference season, avenging last year's home loss to Oklahoma in the season opener.
With the loss, Oklahoma guaranteed itself the worst non-conference start under sixth-year coach Lon Kruger and lost for only the second time since 2013 in a non-conference home game.
INJURIES: Memphis starting forward Chad Rykhoek injured his left leg with 5:14 remaining in the first half after a collision with Oklahoma forward Matt Freeman under the basket after a missed shot. Rykhoek received a standing ovation and players from both teams shook his hand as he was carted off with his leg in a brace. Memphis coach Tubby Smith said after the game that Rykhoek suffered a dislocation and that his recovery timetable is uncertain. Rykhoek is averaging 6.4 points and 2.8 rebounds per game for the Tigers.
FRESHMEN STANDOUT: Oklahoma freshman Jordan Shepherd made his first career start alongside fellow freshman Kristian Doolittle. It was the first time Oklahoma has started two true freshmen since Feb. 9, 2013, in a 72-66 victory against Kansas. Then-freshmen Buddy Hield and Isaiah Cousins combined for nine points.
STAT OF THE DAY: Oklahoma took a 35-23 lead midway through the first half thanks to 13 consecutive made field goal attempts. The Sooners started the game 15-for-18 before senior guard Jordan Woodard missed a 3-pointer from the top of the arc. Seven different players scored for the Sooners during the run.
UP NEXT
Memphis heads home for four-straight games in the FedEx Forum, starting with a matchup against Incarnate Word before the start of American Athletic Conference play.
Oklahoma has one more non-conference game - a neutral site matchup against Auburn at the Birthday of Basketball in Connecticut - before it opens Big 12 play against Baylor on Dec. 30.
