The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

ANOTHER game, another 30-point performance that has become commonplace for Bahamian basketball star Buddy Hield.

Hield scored 30 points as the No.1 Oklahoma Sooners defeated Texas Tech Red Raiders at the Lloyd Noble Arena in Norman, Oklahoma, on Tuesday night.

Hield, the nation’s No. 2 scorer, made 9-12 from the field, including 5-8 from beyond the three-point arch, and 7-8 free throws. It was his seventh game with 30 or more points this season.

The Sooners put together one of their most balanced performances of the season on both ends of the floor. Defensively, they limited the Red Raiders to just 32 per cent shooting from the field while they shot 52 per cent from the field themselves and 52 per cent (12-23) from the three-point line.

The efficiency from long range led Baylor head coach Scott Drew to compare the Sooners to the NBA’s top ranked team - Golden State Warriors.

“Those guys are on a different level than us. But we share the ball really well, and the Warriors share it well, too. I’ve watched them a lot, but we just do what coach Kruger wants us to do.

Sharing the ball helps our team go, and we have a lot of guys that can make shots,” Hield said,

“[Our defence] was good, but I still think we didn’t do a very good job. Coach (Kruger) was on us about executing, blocking out and helping out the big men. We still have to get better on that end to make the team go.”

In additin to another 30-point milestone, it was Hield’s 10th game of the season scoring at least 25 points. In his first three seasons, he combined for six games of at least 25 points.

Hield now ranks first nationally with his 4.2 three pointers per game and second with his .523 season 3-point field goal percentage. He has made at least five three pointers in a game eight times this year.

Following the game, Bahamas consul general to Atlanta Randy Rolle and vice consul Mia Ferguson visited Hield. They were officially on a two-day tour of schools in Oklahoma. They had earlier visited Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College in Miami, Oklahoma, where they discussed more opportunities for Bahamian students to pursue music at Northeastern A&M with Mr Adam Compton, instrumental music instructor.

“Having the opportunity to watch such a sensational Bahamian college basketball star in action was just amazing. We had the opportunity to sit with him before the game. He spoke about school, family and basketball. I was blown away by his personality and how grounded he is as a young Bahamian. His mother, I am told, is an amazing woman and makes sure he stays focused. As we sat down to chat, he noticed that we were wearing Bahamian pins and said he wants one, so Mia Ferguson took off her pin and gave it to him and he wore it at the post-game press conference.”

Also in Big 12 play Tuesday night, Shaquille Cleare and the Texas Longhorns improved to 13-7 on the season (5-3 in conference play) with a 71-54 win over the TCU Horned Frogs. Cleare finished with five points, two rebounds and two steals in 13 minutes.