Sooners seek to avenge one of three losses

Monday, January 31st 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -- Through 19 games this season, the Oklahoma basketball team has lost only to Cincinnati, Colorado and Texas. The Sooners get a chance to avenge one of those losses tonight.

The 17th-ranked Texas Longhorns, who beat Oklahoma 79-66 in Austin on Jan. 15, bring a team that is tied with Iowa State for first place in the Big 12 at 6-1. They are led by 7-footer Chris Mihm, who is coming off a 28-point, 17-rebound performance against Colorado on Saturday, and by Gabe Muoneke, who tied his career high with 30 points in the first meeting with Oklahoma. "It's kind of like, how do yo want your medicine?" Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson said. "Do you try to stop Mihm and run the risk of Muoneke having a great game, or do you try to concentrate on Gabe and let Mihm have a big game?"

No. 18 Oklahoma is 4-2 in the Big 12 aft Najera, who had 20 points and 13 rebounds. He excelled despite suffering a broken bone in his left hand during practice Friday. "I'd probably rather have him have a badly sprained ankle," Sampson said. "You can tape an ankle and can ice it. He has to have his hands to shoot. "Part of Eduardo's strength is his rebounding and passing and tipping balls. It affects those areas, but Eduardo's a tough kid."

Oklahoma has been winning by getting what Sampson calls an "accordion approach" to each game. Tim Heskett scored 18 points off the bench in a victory last week over Iowa State, then went0-for-5 from the field against Texas Tech. But Kelley Newton came through against the Red Raiders, scoring 18. Renzi Stone added 11points. Sampson said his team will need to put the accordion away to have a chance tonight. "In a game like this, we've got to have three or four guys play well on the same night," he said.

The conference season is nearing the midway point, which makes every game more important. After tonight, the Sooners travel to Baylor on Saturday, then have home games against Kansas State and Oklahoma State next week. "This is a pivotal game," Sampson said. "We're playing one of better teams in country and one of best teams in league. It does wonders for us if we can win, but if we lose, there's a lot of season left."