NORMAN, Okla. – Nicole Griffin turned it on in the second half for Oklahoma, and it turned out the 13th ranked Sooners needed every bit of her 15 points and nine rebounds to survive a spirited North Texas squad, defeating the Mean Green 71-68 on Thursday night.
Griffin scored only three points in the first 20 minutes of play but set the tone after the break, going 9 for 10 from the free-throw line, eight of which she made in the second half.
Oklahoma (8-1) cashed in from the free-throw line in the second half, hitting 27 of 35 attempts and were 30 of 40 overall. North Texas (2-6, 1-0 Sun Belt) was 9 of 13 from the line in the entire game.
Three other players were in double figures for the Sooners including Joanna McFarland who had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Morgan Hook had 12 and Sharane Campbell chipped in with 11.
Sooners player Whitney Hand injured her left knee on a drive to the basket with 1:50 left in the first half. She was helped off the court by the training staff and her husband, Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones, met her at the entrance to the tunnel which connects to the locker room.
Hand missed most of the 2009-2010 season after tearing her anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee.
The Sooners have lost two other players to season-ending injuries with Kaylon Williams rupturing her left achilles tendon and Maddie Manning tore her ACL last week.
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