Three-pointers take OU past Winthrop, 74-50

TUCSON, Ariz. - On the wings of 3-pointers, Oklahoma moved on to the second round of the NCAA tournament.<br><br>The Sooners were 10-of-21 from long-range Thursday while Winthrop clanked shot after shot

Thursday, March 16th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

TUCSON, Ariz. - On the wings of 3-pointers, Oklahoma moved on to the second round of the NCAA tournament.

The Sooners were 10-of-21 from long-range Thursday while Winthrop clanked shot after shot off the rim in a miserable shooting performance as third-seeded Oklahoma rolled to a 74-50 victory.

Oklahoma's Eduardo Najera managed just 10 points, nearly nine below his average, in 28 foul-plagued minutes, but that hardly mattered as four other Sooners scored in double figures. First-year guards J.R. Raymond and Hollis Price carried the offense in the first half, as the Sooners (27-6) built a 39-23 lead at the break. Raymond scored 11 of 14 of his points in the first 20 minutes and finished the game 4-for-7 from 3-point range. Price added 10, also all in the first half.

In the second half, reserve guard Tim Heskett was 4-for-4 from 3-point range to finish with 12 points. Nolan Johnson scored 12 for the Sooners.

No. 14 seed Winthrop, meanwhile, shot just 26 percent (15-for-56), 2-for-20 on 3-pointers. The Eagles had held opponents to just 39 percent shooting this season, but the Sooners shot 51 percent.

Greg Lewis scored 21 for the Eagles (21-9), the making their second consecutive tournament appearance, and second straight first-round exit.

Winthrop point guard Tyson Waterman, the Big South palyer of the year the last two season, made just one of 10 shots and was 0-for-8 on 3-pointers.

Price sank an 18-footer and Raymond followed with a 3-pointer to ignite a 17-5 surge that put Oklahoma up 25-12 with 8:34 left in the first half. Price's 3-pointer with 1:45 to play gave the Sooners their biggest lead of the half, 38-21.

Lewis' offensive rebound and consecutive baskets by Eyo Effiong cut Oklahoma's lead to 46-33 with 15:02 to play. But consecutive 3-pointers by Heskett capped a 13-5 run that put the Sooners up 59-38 with 10:41 remaining.

Oklahoma, which made just 5-of-20 3-pointers in its loss to Iowa State in the championship game of the Big 12 tournament, advanced to the round of 16 last season. Sooners coach Kelvin Sampson is 2-9 at McKale Center. His only other victory there was in 1988 at the now-defunct Pac-10 tournament when he was coach at Washington State.