Spring Break
Aggies fall to Sooners in first home loss of 2008-2009
No. 6 Oklahoma defeats A&M, 69-63
By: Patrick Hayslip
Issue date: 12/8/08 Section: Sports
"For all our guys, this should give them confidence," said Oklahoma Head Coach Jeff Capel. "But the person that should give the most confidence to is Blake because he doesn't feel like he has to do it himself."
Griffin's brother, Taylor Griffin, scored 11 points for the Sooners while Johnson scored a season-high 19 points.
"I'm kind of used to stepping up play and shooting big shots, so I wasn't going to shy down to it when I had the chance," Johnson said.
The Aggies were coming off their first win against a nationally ranked team after beating No. 21 Baylor on Wednesday, but poor free-throw shooting and a slow start against the Sooners hurt A&M's chances of defeating another ranked team.
"The other night the guys just balled. Tonight they were inconsistent," Turgeon said. "I asked the guys what they thought was the difference in the game and they thought the foul line was the difference. I think that and just us not ready to play at the beginning of the game. It could have been different."
Davis said the loss hurt, but felt that there were some positives the team could take away from the game.
"We played them to the wire of the game and we just came up on the short end of the stick," Davis said. "We just need to execute more shots basically, and hit free throws."
Davis missed three out of four free throws in the closing minutes of the game and the Aggies as a team shot 60 percent from the line.
The Aggies will travel to Kansas, Turgeon's alma mater, for a showdown with the Jayhawks on Monday. Turgeon was a player for Kansas from 1983-87 and then served as an assistant coach from 1987-92. Kansas won a NCAA title in 1988.
"We don't have a lot of time to sit around here and sulk; we have to get better on the road," Turgeon said.
Griffin's brother, Taylor Griffin, scored 11 points for the Sooners while Johnson scored a season-high 19 points.
"I'm kind of used to stepping up play and shooting big shots, so I wasn't going to shy down to it when I had the chance," Johnson said.
The Aggies were coming off their first win against a nationally ranked team after beating No. 21 Baylor on Wednesday, but poor free-throw shooting and a slow start against the Sooners hurt A&M's chances of defeating another ranked team.
"The other night the guys just balled. Tonight they were inconsistent," Turgeon said. "I asked the guys what they thought was the difference in the game and they thought the foul line was the difference. I think that and just us not ready to play at the beginning of the game. It could have been different."
Davis said the loss hurt, but felt that there were some positives the team could take away from the game.
"We played them to the wire of the game and we just came up on the short end of the stick," Davis said. "We just need to execute more shots basically, and hit free throws."
Davis missed three out of four free throws in the closing minutes of the game and the Aggies as a team shot 60 percent from the line.
The Aggies will travel to Kansas, Turgeon's alma mater, for a showdown with the Jayhawks on Monday. Turgeon was a player for Kansas from 1983-87 and then served as an assistant coach from 1987-92. Kansas won a NCAA title in 1988.
"We don't have a lot of time to sit around here and sulk; we have to get better on the road," Turgeon said.
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