The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

It was a night four years in the making and Buddy Hield continued to live up to the lofty expectations he has set all year in his final game in the home confines of the Lloyd Noble Centre in Norman, Oklahoma.

Hield scored 23 points to lead the Sooners to a 73-71 win over the No.19 ranked Baylor Bears Tuesday night as the programme celebrated “Senior Night” by honouring Hield alongside fellow seniors Isiah Cousins and Ryan Spangler.

He scored 13 points in the first half as the Sooners raced out to a 26-point lead. However they stumbled in the second half.

Baylor eventually took a 68-67 lead late in the second half before Oklahoma responded with a jumper from Cousins and a layup by Hield as they regained the lead for good. Hield would seal the win with a pair of free throws.

The Sooners (23-6, 11-6 Big 12) broke a tie with Baylor and now have sole possession of third place in the Big 12.

“I feel like we just get stagnant. We didn’t have the flow we had in the first half. We were just stagnant. Thank God Isaiah [Cousins] could step up and make a big shot. We really needed it. He picked us up enough. I got to the rim. We got a couple stops down the stretch,” Hield said.

“Coach [Kruger] said to pick up the final win and we did that. Whatever Coach (Kruger) calls, we go with. If he wants the ball in my hands or wants Isaiah (Cousins) with the ball or Jordan (Woodard) or Ryan (Spangler), wherever the flow goes, he tries to find the missed factor that we can exploit. If coach calls my number, I’m going to try to make a play.

Hield, Cousins and Spangler have started 97 consecutive games together and were the only Sooners to reach double figures in scoring on the night.

The Grand Bahama native reflected on his time with the Sooners programme as it comes to a close over the course of the next two months.

“It was fun. I remember from my freshman year, me and Isaiah [Cousins], Ryan [Spangler] here all together. Just how we’ve grown so much and how our game evolved in the past four years has been fun and the fans and how the crowd changed the past four years. Now we have sold out arenas. It’s fun,” Hield said.

“I appreciate the fans taking us in for four years and supporting us and appreciate coach (Lon Kruger). I’ve learned a lot from coach. He’s helped me these four years, him and coach Crutch [field]. They’ve been guiding me. I just have to thank the coaches and everyone helping me through this journey.”

Sooners head coach Lon Kruger also offered his thanks to Hield and the trio for their impact.

“These guys have been outstanding. I can’t imagine three guys in the country who have impacted, in one class, a programme more than these guys have. It’s a special, special group and we’ll feel their impact for a long time after the next month or so.” He said: “I couldn’t be more proud of them and happy for them as well.”

Hield’s 23 points brought his career total to 2,099 fourth all time in Sooners’ history and fifth in Big 12 history.

It was also his 21st game of the season with 20 or more points. He now has 121 three pointers on the season which set a new conference single season record.

The Sooners end the regular season on the road after their noon March 5 game against the TCU Horned Frogs.