FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) Oklahoma guard Buddy Hield had an open path to the basket for an easy tying layup when he instead stopped and gave the ball to Ryan Spangler.
Spangler, whose blocked shot set up the breakaway, had an emphatic two-handed slam dunk as part of 10-0 run to end the first half that put the No. 21 Sooners ahead to stay in their fourth consecutive Big 12 victory, 68-56 win at TCU on Saturday.
''Ryan, he got us going the whole game. I figured that was the right way to reward him back,'' Hield said. ''He gives us all that energy.''
Spangler scored career high-tying 21 points and Hield had 16 points with 10 rebounds.
Oklahoma (16-7, 7-4 Big 12) scored the first nine points of the game but then fell behind by seven. The tying dunk came after Spangler blocked a shot, Jordan Woodard grabbed the rebound and then threw a deep pass to Hield. The guard handed off to the 6-foot-8 post player who had sprinted down the court after his block.
''I gave him a little assist, he gave me a little dunk,'' Spangler said. ''We just had to get it going. ... We had to get a stop on defense and get out and run.''
Spangler's free throw with 51 seconds left in the half broke the tie, and Isaiah Cousins ended the half with a slam to make it 31-28.
TCU (14-9, 1-9) missed its first 13 shots, and its first credited make came on a goaltending goal nearly 5 minutes into the game. Brandon Parrish had a 3-pointer with 14:15 left in the half for the first basket the Horned Frogs put through the rim - on their 16th attempt.
Just more than 10 minutes later, the Frogs were ahead 28-21 when Chris Washburn made a layup on a pass from Kyan Anderson.
During the media timeout right after that, with 3:42 left, TCU coach Trent Jonson had an ominous warning for his team.
''I talked to them about finishing the half, that (Oklahoma) is good, they're going to make a run,'' Johnson said.
The Frogs didn't score again before halftime in their sixth straight loss, all against Top 25 teams.
''Right now, we are, make no mistake about it, we're fragile from a confidence standpoint,'' the coach said.
Kenrich Williams has 10 points and nine rebounds to lead TCU, which shot only 32 percent (23 of 73) from the field. Eight of his boards were on the offensive end.
Cousins added 11 points for the Sooners. Tashawn Thomas had eight points and 10 rebounds.
A 3-pointer by Cousins early in the second half made it 36-30, and the game was never closer after that.
Spangler then drew a charge on a drive by Williams, and the ensuing Sooners possession ended with a driving layup by Thomas.
''The real key was our run to end the first half to get back in front,'' Sooners coach Lon Kruger said. ''We started the second half with a little bit more energy.''
BLOCK PARTY
The Sooners had a season-high 11 blocked shots. There was the tying dunk set up by a block as were two of their baskets in the game-opening 9-0 run. Thomas and Spangler had consecutive blocks in one sequence that led to a breakaway layup by Hield. Less than a minute later, Hield was fouled on another breakaway after rebounding a shot blocked by Cousins.
TIP-INS
Oklahoma: The Sooners lead the series against TCU 15-2. ... Spangler, who was 9-of-12 shooting, hit a 3-pointer from the left corner in the final minute after the Frogs cut their deficit to single digits. ''I didn't shoot much outside. Layups are always pretty easy,'' he said when asked about his high shooting percentage.
TCU: After none of their first 15 shots went through the hoop, the Horned Frogs made 22 of 58 shots (38 percent) the rest of the game. ... The Horned Frogs' last three losses have been by at least 12 points, all since a 64-61 loss to No. 8 Kansas in its previous home game Jan. 28 when a tying 3-pointer ricocheted off the back iron as time expired.
UP NEXT
Oklahoma: plays at home Monday night against No. 11 Iowa State.
TCU: is at No. 25 Texas on Wednesday night.
