Men's Basketball Associated Press

Spangler Leads Sooners Over Missouri

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) - Ryan Spangler scored a season-high 18 points to help No. 22 Oklahoma defeat Missouri 82-63 Friday night in the SEC/Big 12 challenge.

With the OU win, the Big 12 won the Challenge for the second time in as many seasons after capturing seven of 10 matchups a year ago.  The Big 12 leads the event, 6-2, this season.

Buddy Hield had 17 points and three steals and Isaiah Cousins added 16 points for the Sooners, who shot 57 percent from the field and made 10 of 20 3-pointers. Oklahoma (5-2) was coming off a runner-up finish in the Battle 4 Atlantis.

The Sooners opened the second half on a 15-0 run. Missouri (4-4) didn't score for the first 5:16 of the second half and missed its first seven shots after the break.

Johnathan Williams led Missouri with 16 points and eight rebounds. Montaque Gill-Caesar, Missouri's top scorer entering the game, finished with 15 points on 6-for-16 shooting.

Namon Wright added 12 points for the Tigers, who had won two straight. The Sooners held Missouri to 42 percent shooting.

It was the third blowout loss for the Tigers this season under first-year coach Kim Anderson. They lost to Arizona by 19 and Purdue by 21 last month.

Missouri led early, but a 3-pointer by Cousins put Oklahoma up 19-17. Cousins scored 11 points in the first 9:29.

Hield didn't score until 5:39 remained in the first half, but his layup pushed the Sooners' lead to 27-20 and caused Missouri to call timeout.

A 3-pointer by Hield pushed the lead to 10, and a dunk by TaShawn Thomas bumped the lead to 12.

Spangler's 3-pointer right before the half gave Oklahoma a 37-25 lead at the break.