OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Randy Culpepper scored a season-high 27 points and Christian Polk added a career-high 17 points as UTEP built a big lead in the first half and beat Oklahoma 89-74 on Monday night at the All-College Classic.
The Miners (7-2) scored 14 straight points late in the first half and opened a 19-point lead, then never let the Sooners make a serious charge. Oklahoma (8-4) got within 10 points twice in the second half, including on Willie Warren’s free throw with 2:09 to play.
Culpepper answered with a three-point play at the opposite end and then helped UTEP close the door with four free throws down the stretch.
Warren came back with 26 points after scoring a season-low four points with four turnovers in Oklahoma’s last game, but it wasn’t nearly enough for the Sooners to win their seventh straight game.
Freshman Tommy Mason-Griffin added a career-high 20 points, Tiny Gallon scored 13 and Tony Crocker had 10 points. It was only the second loss for Oklahoma in its last 17 games at Oklahoma City’s annual holiday basketball showcase.
Julyan Stone had 15 points and tied his season high with eight assists and Arnett Moultrie had 10 points and eight rebounds for UTEP. Derrick Caracter, the former Louisville forward who transferred after several run-ins with Rick Pitino and an unfulfilled promise to jump to the NBA, had 11 points and 10 rebounds for his third straight double-double.
Moultrie hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key to break a 20-all tie midway through the first half, and UTEP started pulling away with a 14-0 run. Polk hit a pair of 3-pointers, and Culpepper finished the surge with a two-handed putback jam and a driving layup to give the Miners a 37-22 lead with 5:20 left before halftime.
