No. 6 Oklahoma 65, Baylor 54

WACO, Texas (AP) _ Oklahoma doesn't want to lose its focus, even if the Big 12 regular-season title is virtually out of reach. <br><br>``We have to hold our ground. We want the No. 2 seed for the Big

Wednesday, February 20th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

WACO, Texas (AP) _ Oklahoma doesn't want to lose its focus, even if the Big 12 regular-season title is virtually out of reach.

``We have to hold our ground. We want the No. 2 seed for the Big 12 tournament,'' Sooners guard Hollis Price said.

Price, Aaron McGhee and Ebi Ere each scored 15 points Tuesday night as the sixth-ranked Sooners beat Baylor 65-54 to maintain sole possession of second place in the league, three games behind top-ranked Kansas, which is unbeaten in the conference.

For Oklahoma (21-4, 10-3), it was the 16th straight win over the Bears (14-12, 4-9), a streak that dates to Dec. 6, 1977.

``It goes on for the teams right behind them,'' Price said, referring to Kansas, which has clinched a tie for the title.

After going back and forth with Baylor for most of the game, the Sooners finally put together a late 10-0 run.

Oklahoma led 51-50, then Quannas White hit a 3-pointer with 5:35 left to start the run that lasted two minutes and saw four players score. By the time Ere followed a missed 3-pointer by Price, the Sooners led 61-50.

``The last five minutes was good in every area we played ... shot selection, defense and rebounding,'' Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson said. ``It was a good road win.

``Baylor's not an easy team to play because they're one of the few teams we play that don't beat themselves. You have to beat Baylor.''

It was a season low in points for Baylor, which last beat Oklahoma when its current coach, Dave Bliss, was coaching Oklahoma.

Before the Sooners blew the game open, the teams traded the lead six times in a two-minute span without a missed shot. McGhee's 3-pointer put the Sooners ahead to stay at 48-47.

John Lucas then missed a 3-pointer for the Bears to end the furious stretch, and Price hit another 3-pointer for the Sooners.

``We have got to stop trading baskets with teams. We can't let that happen down the stretch,'' Price said. ``Late in the game, we didn't let them get back.''

Price, the Sooners' leading scorer at 16.4 per game, had scored just 35 points the previous four games. McGhee, who had three 3-pointers, also had 10 rebounds.

Lucas led Baylor with 19 points on 9-of-18 shooting, but missed all three of his 3-pointers. Lawrence Roberts, like Lucas a freshman, had 13 points and eight rebounds.

Oklahoma plays at home Saturday against third-place Texas, and is the only team that could catch Kansas. But the Jayhawks, trying to become the first team to go undefeated in the Big 12, would have to lose to Nebraska, Kansas State and Missouri _ teams they beat by 39, 27 and 28 points this season.

The Bears, second in the Big 12 with nine 3-pointers a game, were just 3-of-22 from long range to match a season low.

``We were anxious on offense and weren't getting set,'' Roberts said. ``It was a combination of bad shots and good defense.''

Oklahoma is the only Big 12 team Baylor hasn't beaten since the league's inception in 1995. The Bears are 1-5 this season against Top 25 teams.

``This game was similar to lots of games we have played. We have a chance, but we don't make the plays when we have to,'' Bliss said.