COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) - Burdened by sore feet and three fouls,
Juan Dixon reached halftime without a point.
|  | | Maryland's Steve Blake, top, led the Terrapins with five assists in their win over OU. |
Dixon tossed his new shoes aside, laced up his old sneakers and
just like that, Maryland's leading scorer reverted to form.
Dixon scored 23 points in the second half as No. 20 Maryland
extended its home non-conference winning streak to 77 games by
pulling away to a 68-60 victory over Oklahoma (No. 15 ESPN/USA Today, No. 16 AP) on Saturday.
Maryland (18-9) led by 12 in the first half, then fell behind
shortly after halftime before Dixon hit a pair of 3-pointers in a
14-3 run that put the Terrapins up 45-36. With four minutes left,
Dixon had 20 of Maryland's 33 second-half points and the Terrapins
led 60-49.
"It had to be the shoes," Maryland center Chris Wilcox said.
"I wish I could say that," Dixon said. "My feet were hurting
from the shoes I had on in the first half and I was in foul
trouble. The reason I changed my shoes is because my feet were
hurting."
The Terrapins got new sneakers Thursday, and Dixon made the
change to keep in tune with his teammates. But he said after
Saturday's game that he will wear the old shoes for the rest of the
season.
"I didn't know he changed them," Maryland coach Gary Williams
said. "If I had known that, I'd have told him to change after the
first TV timeout. Why wait until halftime?"
Kelley Newton scored 14 points and Daryan Selvy added 12 for the
Sooners (21-6). Oklahoma played without starting point guard J.R.
Raymond, who was suspended for violating team policy and did not
make the trip.
Raymond was averaging 18.5 points in Oklahoma's last 10 games,
nine of them wins. Hollis Price started at point guard and played
the entire game, finishing with nine points and seven turnovers.
"I think he got tired," Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson said.
"That kid played for 40 minutes against unbelievable pressure.
I've got to do a better job of resting him."
Dixon went 7-for-11 from the field in the second half, sinking
four 3-pointers, after an 0-for-3 first half.
"He is as good as advertised," Sampson said.
Lonny Baxter scored 16 for the Terrapins, whose non-conference
run at home is the longest in the nation. The streak began in
December 1989.
The victory was an important one for Maryland, but Williams
wasn't about to say the Terrapins have clinched an eighth straight
appearance in the NCAA tournament.
"I don't want to say anything," he said. "With 32 automatic
qualifiers it gets tough to get everybody who deserves to be there
in there."
The absence of Raymond had a profound affect on the Sooners at
the outset, as Oklahoma scored only two points in the opening nine
minutes.
It was 22-10 before the Sooners finally made a move, getting
four points from Aaron McGhee in an 8-2 burst.
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ALSO SEE
Men's College Basketball Scoreboard
Oklahoma Clubhouse
Maryland Clubhouse
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Byron Mouton of Maryland puts up an off-balance heave for two.
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Steve Blake makes the steal and sends a no-look dish to Byron Mouton for the layup.
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RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Juan Dixon catches the inbounds pass and hits the three-pointer against the Sooners.
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