The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

Coming off their second loss in three games, the Oklahoma Sooners made the move to insert Chavano “Buddy” Hield into the starting lineup. Since then, the Sooners have enjoyed their longest win streak of the season.

Hield’s best game as a starter came Saturday in their fourth consecutive win when he finished with 15 points, four rebounds and five assists in a 77-68 win over in state and conference rival Oklahoma State. He shot 6-11 from the field and 3-5 from beyond the three-point arch.

Hield stepped up in a major way in the latest installment of the “Bedlam Series” between the two schools to help the Sooners to 2-0 in Big 12 play thus far and outplayed high profile freshman Marcus Smart who finished just 3-10 with 10 points and four turnovers.

As a team, the Sooners shot 8-13 from beyond the arch, coming into the game shooting just 31 per cent.

Hield started and was an instant catalyst early in the game for the Sooners scoring the first basket of the game and opening a 10-3 run.

His energy was key to the Sooners throughout the game, gesturing for the crowd to get on its feet and hitting crucial three pointers in key moments.

During a stretch of turnovers, where the Cowboys trimmed the defecit, Hield nailed a three-pointer to get the Norman, Oklahama faithful back on their feet.

His final three pointer put the Sooners up by seven points with less than eight minutes left to play.

Hield was averaging 8.9 points and 4.4 rebounds per game as teams began Conference play all across the country.

He has scored double figures in four games so far on the season and finished once with double figures in rebounds, December 18 at Stephen F Austin with 11.

In just the second game of his NCAA career, Hield set his career high in scoring with 17 in the Sooners’ 63-59 win over the Texas-Arlington Mavericks.

In front of a record homecoming crowd of 6,421 at the College Park Center in Arlington, Texas, Hield displayed the type of shooting which made him such a coveted recruit for Sooners’ head coach Lon Kruger.

The Grand Bahama native and former Jack Hayward Wildcat shot 6-10 from the field, 2-4 from beyond the arch, 3-4 from the free throw line and added four rebounds, in just 19 minutes.

Hield scored 11 straight points during the Sooners’ 22-1 run, which helped them lead by as many as 13 as they took a 38-28 lead at the half. He scored all of his 17 points in the first half.

Hield, a 6’3” 200 pound guard, was a four-star recruit ranked 86th nationally and as the 17th best shooting guard in the country by Rivals.com.

In his senior season at Sunrise Christian Academy Buffaloes in Wichita, Kansas, Hield averaged 22.7 points on .491 shooting in 21 minutes per game as a senior. He also added four rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.3 steals per game while shooting .348 from 3-point range.

He led the Buffaloes to a 23-4 record and a National Association of Christian Athletes National championship where he was named tournament MVP.

The Sooners face Texas Tech 8pm Wednesday.