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Griffin Leads Sooners To Win

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The Associated Press

Published: December 8, 2008

TULSA, Okla. - Blake Griffin had 19 points and nine rebounds, and Willie Warren scored 14 points as No. 6 Oklahoma dominated Tulsa for a 69-44 victory Sunday.

Warren and Tony Crocker, who had 12 points, hit consecutive 3-pointers as the Sooners (8-0) scored the first 13 points of the game. Cade Davis' 3-pointer from the right wing stretched Oklahoma's lead to 20-3 before Tulsa (4-4) could get anything going.

Warren had a right-handed tomahawk jam and a driving layup as the Sooners ended the first half with a 10-0 run for a 43-19 lead.

Justin Hurtt scored 10 points to lead the Golden Hurricane, who never got within 20 points in the second half to take the steam out of the first game played in the new BOK Center in downtown Tulsa.

Oklahoma's dominance was reminiscent of its 81-55 victory over Tulsa last season in Norman, when the Sooners opened the game with an 18-5 lead and were up by 30 at halftime.

NO. 11 LOUISVILLE 91,

OHIO 56

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Louisville may have found the point guard it's been looking for in power forward Earl Clark.

The junior had 17 points, 14 rebounds and a career-high eight assists as the 11th-ranked Cardinals dominated Ohio in the Marques Maybin Classic.

Deftly guiding Louisville's offense from the high post, Clark played his best game of the season as the Cardinals (4-1) overwhelmed the Bobcats.

Samardo Samuels led Louisville with 19 points - most of them coming on nifty feeds from Clark - as Louisville won its second straight after being upset by Western Kentucky.

Jerome Tillman led Ohio (3-3) with 21 points and seven rebounds, but the Bobcats shot 37 percent, turned it over 18 times and went without a field goal during a 10-minute stretch spanning the first and second half.

Clark, who briefly left Louisville last spring to test his NBA prospects before returning to school, did a little bit of everything. He was 7-of-11 from the field, including a couple of perfectly executed bank shots over smaller opponents. His long arms gobbled up rebounds and - perhaps most importantly for a team still looking for some leadership - he found a way to get his teammates the ball.

NO. 13 MICHIGAN STATE 75,

BRADLEY 59

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Chris Allen scored 19 points and No. 13 Michigan State got its running game going late to spurt past Bradley.

Kalin Lucas had 12 points for the Spartans (5-2), who were coming off one of their most humbling defeats in years, a 35-point loss to No. 1 North Carolina in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

Theron Wilson scored 16 points and Dodie Dunson added 13 for Bradley (4-3).

Michigan State started trying to rebuild its confidence by winning the first of three straight home games.

The Spartans appeared sluggish early but got its fast break rolling in the second half enough to get past the Braves.

NO. 19 ARIZONA STATE 64,

NEBRASKA 44

TEMPE, Ariz. - James Harden had 20 points, nine rebounds and had six assists to lead No. 19 Arizona State past Nebraska in the Pac 10-Big 12 series.

Rihards Kuksiks added career highs of 18 points and six rebounds and Ty Abbott scored 15 points, including three 3-pointers, and grabbed eight rebounds for the Sun Devils (7-1), who are off to their best start since going 7-1 in 1991-92.

Steve Harley scored 11 points to lead the Cornhuskers (6-1), who were just 13 of 45 from the field (29 percent).

Harden was held without a field goal until the final minute of the first half but had 14 points, on 5-for-6 shooting, in the second half.

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