OU at Missouri game notes

Teams: Oklahoma (12-11, 4-5) vs. No. 19/20 Missouri (18-6, 4-5)

Date: Saturday, Feb. 12

Tip: 12:47 p.m. CT

Site: Columbia, Mo. (Mizzou Arena)

Radio: Sooner Radio Network (KRXO 107.7 FM in OKC; KTBZ 1430 AM in Tulsa)

TV: Big 12 Network (KOCB Ch. 34 in OKC; KJRH Ch. 2 in Tulsa)

Webcast: ESPN3.com

Series: OU leads 112-94

SATURDAY’S GAME BASICS

Two of four teams tied for fifth place in the Big 12, Oklahoma (12-11, 4-5) and No. 19/20 Missouri (18-6, 4-5) meet Saturday in Columbia, Mo., at 12:30 p.m. CT. OU has lost two in a row following a four-game winning streak, while the Tigers have dropped three of their last four after a 3-2 league start. Saturday’s game will air on the Sooner Radio Network (KRXO 107.7 FM in Oklahoma City; KTBZ 1430 AM in Tulsa) with Bob Barry Sr. and Mike Houck announcing. It will be televised by the Big 12 Network (KOCB Ch. 34 in OKC; KJRH Ch. 2 in Tulsa; ESPN Full Court) with Dave Armstrong and Jon Sundvold calling the action.

OKLAHOMA’S PROJECTED STARTERS

F 4 Andrew Fitzgerald (6-8, 231, So., 13.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg)

G 2 Steven Pledger (6-4, 212, So., 12.3 ppg, 2.0 apg)

G 14 Carl Blair (6-2, 209, So., 7.8 ppg, 4.3 apg)

G 21 Cameron Clark (6-6, 189, Fr., 9.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg)

G 34 Cade Davis (6-5, 209, Sr., 12.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg)

MISSOURI’S PROJECTED STARTERS

F 10 Ricardo Ratliffe (6-8, 240, Jr., 11.8 ppg, 6.6 rpg)

F 21 Laurence Bowers (6-8, 210, Jr., 11.0 ppg, 5.7 apg)

G 1 Phil Pressey (5-10, 168, Fr., 6.9 ppg, 4.1 apg)

G 3 Matt Pressey (6-2, 185, Jr., 7.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg)

G 12 Marcus Denmon (6-3, 185, Jr., 16.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg)

NOTEWORTHY

• Oklahoma holds a 112-94 series lead against Missouri but trails 59-29 in games played in Columbia (the Sooners have lost the last four there). OU posted a 66-61 win last season in Norman.

• The Sooners are 11-2 at home this year and 1-9 away from Lloyd Noble Center. Their lone road win came Jan. 29 at Iowa State (82-76 in overtime).

• Starters have accounted for 391 of Oklahoma’s 432 points (91 percent) over the last six games (four wins). Each of the five starters is averaging double figures in scoring during the stretch.

• Starters are also averaging 34.7 minutes per game over the last six.

• A big key for OU in its wins this year has been its positive assist-to-turnover ratio. In 12 victories, the Sooners have 189 assists to 167 turnovers. In its 11 losses, Oklahoma has accumulated 112 assists and 152 turnovers (49 and 61 in Big 12 defeats).

• The Sooners committed more turnovers than their opponent in 10 of their first 17 games. That trend has reversed itself the last six games, however, as OU has totaled fewer turnovers than each of its last six foes. It is averaging just 10.5 turnovers over the last four outings.

• Freshmen and sophomores have accounted for 72 percent of OU’s points this year (1,119 of 1,553) and 77 percent of its points during the team’s recent four-game winning streak. The Sooners have one senior in Cade Davis.

• Sophomore guard Steven Pledger, who turned in a career-high 38-point performance Jan. 29 at Iowa State, has scored in double figures in 10 of OU’s 12 wins and is averaging a team-high 16.2 points in the team’s victories (compared to 8.1 in losses). He is shooting .415 from 3-point range in wins (.260 in defeats).

• After averaging 15.0 points and 6.0 rebounds during OU’s four-game winning streak, freshman Cameron Clark is averaging 1.0 point and 3.5 boards over the last two outings (both losses). Clark was held scoreless last Saturday at Oklahoma State and tallied two points Wednesday against Texas. He has played at least 40 minutes six times over the last 15 games, including four times in the last eight outings.

• In OU’s 12 wins, point guard Carl Blair has totaled 57 assists and 27 turnovers. In the team’s 11 losses, Blair has 34 assists and 41 turnovers. The sophomore went 16-for-26 (.615) from the free throw line over his first 15 games, but is 40-for-49 (.816) over the last six outings.

INDIVIDUALS UPDATE

• Sophomore forward Andrew Fitzgerald has scored at least 16 points 10 times this season, including five times in OU’s nine conference games. He leads the team with his 13.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game on the year, and ranks sixth in the Big 12 with his .515 season field goal percentage. His free throw percentage (.727) is up significantly from last year (.638). Fitzgerald has led the Sooners in scoring in each of the last two games, scoring 18 at Oklahoma State and 16 versus Texas.

• A career .332 3-point shooter entering the year, senior guard Cade Davis is shooting a career-best .359 from behind the arc this season and is averaging 2.1 treys per game (ranks 10th in the Big 12). Going back to last year, he has made 77 treys over his last 34 games. Davis ranks eighth on OU’s career 3-point field goals list with 163 and needs four to tie Brent Price for seventh place.

• The 6-foot-5 Davis has been effective on the boards over his last nine games, leading the team on the glass in six of those outings.

• Sophomore guard Steven Pledger has scored in double figures in five of the last six games and is averaging 15.8 in those six. Included was a career-high 38-point effort at Iowa State on Jan. 29 in which he registered career highs in field goals (12), 3-point field goals (7) and free throw makes (7). Pledger scored 17 of OU’s final 21 points of the game, including the team’s first 10 in overtime.

• Freshman Cameron Clark’s top seven scoring games have all come over the last 15 outings. Clark, who finished with a career-high 26 points Dec. 30 against Central Arkansas, also netted 25 versus Baylor last week, 17 against Oral Roberts, 16 at Baylor, 14 against Maryland Eastern Shore and 13 versus Gardner-Webb and Colorado. In OU’s wins, he is averaging 13.2 points while shooting .549 from the field and .457 from 3-point range (16-for-35). In losses, he’s averaging 5.6 points while shooting .386 from the field and .176 from deep (3-for-17).

• Sophomore point guard Carl Blair has rebounded nicely from a slow start to the year by averaging 9.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists over the last 15 games. In his first six games, Blair averaged 4.0 points, 0.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists. He ranks fifth in the Big 12 with his 4.3 assists per contest (third in league games at 4.7) and has led OU in the category in 11 of the last 15 outings.