Texas A&M
(#19) Oklahoma
(#19) Oklahoma 78, Texas A&M 53
Jan 08, 2000 | Men's Basketball
January 08, 2000
With three freshmen in the starting lineup, Texas A&M coach Melvin Watkins knew this season would be a learning experience for his young team.
Oklahoma (13-1, 1-0 Big 12) gave the young Aggies (4-8, 0-1 Big 12) lessons in rebounding and 3-point shooting Saturday in a 78-53 victory. The Sooners outrebounded Texas A&M 36-29 and hit 10 three-pointers in the conference opener for both teams.
Oklahoma (No. 19 ESPN/USA Today, No. 20 AP) forced 24 turnovers to win its fourth straight game.
Kelley Newton was 5-of-6 from 3-point range and had a season-high 19 points. Newton, who went into the game ranked sixth in the nation in 3-point percentage, upped his percentage to 61.0. Newton helped the Oklahoma reserves outscore Texas A&M's backups 42-15 and the Aggies' starters by five points.
The Sooners used a 16-4 run to open the game and pushed their lead to 47-29 by halftime. Fourteen of Newton's 19 points came in the first half, while Texas A&M shot 37 percent from the field.
Bernard King led the Aggies with 18 points in their most lopsided loss this season. Aaron Jack scored 11 points for the Aggies.
Jameel Heywood had a career-high 12 rebounds in 17 minutes for the Sooners.
