BOX SCORE

NORMAN, Okla. – McNeese didn't appear to be the least bit intimidated by the 8^th-ranked team in the nation in the Oklahoma Sooners, but after holding an 11-10 lead in the first five minutes of the game, the Sooners proved worthy of that high ranking as they rolled to an 85-56 win over the Cowboys here Friday night.
 
For the third time in as many games, McNeese (0-3) suffered through a lengthy scoring drought that helped turn the tide of the game.
 
Leading 11-10 following a Craig McFerrin layup with 14:39 to play in the first half, the Cowboys went the next 5:30 without a point and saw that 1-point advantage turn into a 19-11 deficit. The Cowboys made 5 of their first 8 shots in taking the lead but missed on their next nine attempts and made just 4 of 20 the rest of the half.
 
Meanwhile, OU (2-0) was carried by last year's Big 12 Player of the Year Buddy Hield who scored a game-high 24 points on 9 of 13 shooting. As a team, the Sooners connected on 31 of 64 for 48 percent in the game and was 11 of 25 for 44 percent from three-point range.
 
Jamaya Burr was the only McNeese player to score in double-digits as he led the team with 11 points. He and McFerrin tied for the team lead with six rebounds.
 
The Cowboys made just 34 percent from the field (22 of 65) and was 6 of 25 for 24 percent from long range, including a dismal 1 for 10 in the first half.
 
Leading 41-24 at the half, OU built a 31-point lead at 61-30 with 13:45 to play following a Isaiah Cousins layup. McNeese then scored six straight behind consecutive layups from Stephen Ugochukwu, Tevin Jackson, and McFerrin, to cut the lead to 61-36 with 12:01 to go.
 
A James Harvey three-pointer made it a 25-point game at 69-44 with 9:12 to play but another scoring drought, this time covering 4:36, saw the Sooners score 11 straight and build an 80-44 lead with 5:01 to play.
 
Harvey sank his second 3 of the night to cap the scoring for the Cowboys as he finished with six points.
 
McNeese will return home on Wednesday when it hosts Dillard in a 2 p.m. pre-Thanksgiving afternoon contest.
 
McNeese vs Oklahoma
11/20/15 7 p.m. at Norman, Okla. (Lloyd Noble Center)
At Norman, Okla. (Lloyd Noble Center)
OKLAHOMA 85, MCNEESE 56
MCNEESE (0-3)
Burr, Jamaya 3-8 5-7 11; McFerrin, Craig 4-6 0-0 8; Greenwood, Jarren 3-7
0-0 7; Harvey, James 2-7 0-0 6; Ugochukwu, Stephen 2-6 1-4 5; Jackson, Tevin
2-6 0-0 4; Jourbet, Derrell 1-1 0-0 3; Moss, Matt 1-4 0-0 3; Potier, Lance
1-6 0-0 3; Lewis, Austin 1-3 0-0 2; Brown, Adrian 1-5 0-0 2; Johnson, Shaun
1-6 0-0 2. Totals 22-65 6-11 56.
OKLAHOMA (2-0)
Hield, Buddy 9-13 1-1 24; Cousins, Isaiah 5-10 3-6 15; Odomes, Rashard 6-7
2-3 15; Spangler, Ryan 4-7 0-5 9; Woodard, Jordan 2-5 4-4 9; McNeace, Jamuni
2-3 1-4 5; James, Christian 1-6 0-0 3; Alade, Bola 1-1 0-0 2; Walker,
Dinjiyl 1-4 0-1 2; Lattin, Khadeem 0-3 1-2 1; Mankin, Austin 0-0 0-0 0;
Manyang, Akolda 0-2 0-0 0; Cole, C.J. 0-1 0-0 0; Harper, Daniel 0-1 0-0 0;
Buford, Dante 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 31-64 12-26 85.
McNeese.......................   24   32  -   56
Oklahoma......................   41   44  -   85
3-point goals--McNeese 6-25 (Harvey, James 2-7; Potier, Lance 1-4; Jourbet,
Derrell 1-1; Moss, Matt 1-3; Greenwood, Jarren 1-4; Johnson, Shaun 0-3;
Jackson, Tevin 0-1; Ugochukwu, Stephen 0-1; Burr, Jamaya 0-1), Oklahoma
11-25 (Hield, Buddy 5-7; Cousins, Isaiah 2-5; Spangler, Ryan 1-1; Odomes,
Rashard 1-1; Woodard, Jordan 1-3; James, Christian 1-3; Harper, Daniel 0-1;
Buford, Dante 0-1; Walker, Dinjiyl 0-3). Fouled out--McNeese-None,
Oklahoma-None. Rebounds--McNeese 37 (McFerrin, Craig 6; Burr, Jamaya 6),
Oklahoma 46 (Lattin, Khadeem 8). Assists--McNeese 8 (Greenwood, Jarren 4),
Oklahoma 14 (Walker, Dinjiyl 3; Woodard, Jordan 3). Total fouls--McNeese 25,
Oklahoma 12. Technical fouls--McNeese-None, Oklahoma-None. A-8364
Estimated Attendance: 5049