Adam Flagler scored 16 points Saturday and LJ Cryer added 14 to lead No. 5 Baylor to a 65-51 road victory over Oklahoma at Norman, Okla.
Flagler scored 14 of his points in the second half to help the Bears build a big lead and then put the game away after the Sooners made a late push.
Baylor (17-2, 5-2 Big 12) won its second-consecutive game after dropping its first two games of the season. The Sooners (12-7, 2-5) have lost four consecutive games and five of their last six.
The Bears clamped down defensively, forcing Oklahoma into a season-high 25 turnovers and converting them into 35 points.
The tide turned Baylor's way for good late, shortly after the Sooners trimmed the deficit to three at 45-42 with 7:14 remaining.
After a Baylor bucket and another Oklahoma turnover, the Sooners' Elijah Harkless was called for a personal foul before Tanner Groves was called for a technical foul moments later. Groves complained after Matthew Mayer's knee hit Groves in the face.
Officials determined during a review that Mayer's action wasn't flagrant, Cryer hit all four free throws for a 51-42 lead and the Sooners weren't closer than seven the rest of the way.
Mayer had 12 points for Baylor, while Flo Thamba had 10 rebounds for the Bears and Kendall Brown added eight boards. Umoja Gibson led the Sooners with 13 points.
The Bears turned up the defensive pressure early, forcing eight in the first five minutes to take a 10-0 lead.
Four of the turnovers were by Oklahoma's Jordan Goldwire, who did not have more than five turnovers in any of his previous 134 college games. Goldwire finished with seven turnovers.
The Sooners came back quickly, though, reeling off a 19-5 run over the next five minutes to take a 21-17 lead. Baylor was 1 of 12 from the floor over that 10-minute span.
But the Bears recovered - and started forcing turnovers on the other end once again - to score the final eight points of the first half and take a 25-21 lead into the break.
Baylor started the second half with eight consecutive points to stretch the lead to double figures once again at 33-21.
The Bears led by as many as 15 at 40-25 five minutes into the second half before Oklahoma pulled within one possession with just over seven minutes remaining before Baylor closed out the victory
--Field Level Media
Baylor | Oklahoma | |
Adam Flagler 16 | Scoring | Umoja Gibson 13 |
James Akinjo 4 | Assists | Jordan Goldwire 3 |
Flo Thamba 10 | Rebounds | Jalen Hill 7 |
Kendall Brown 6 | Free Throws Made | Umoja Gibson 2 |
James Akinjo 4 | Steals | Tanner Groves 2 |
Flo Thamba 1 | Blocks | Elijah Harkless 1 |