Kevin Bookout scored 15 points and added eight rebounds to lead Oklahoma to a 93-65 win over High Point Thursday night in the first round of the 2004 Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout in Anchorage.

The Panthers (1-1) will face Utah Friday at 6:00 pm Eastern time in a game to be broadcast on WIST (790-AM) in High Point, as well as worldwide at highpointpanthers.com. Click here to listen to the live broadcast.

Titus Byrd led HPU with a game-high 16 points, while Jerry Echenique chipped in 13 points and nine rebounds. The Panthers shot just 36 percent from the floor and committed 25 turnovers.

Four other Sooners joined Bookout in double-figures, including Drew Lavender (14 points, seven assists), Jaison Williams (11 points, Lawrence McKenzie (11 points) and Terrell Everett (10 points).

Oklahoma (2-0) shot 53 percent from the field and 45 percent from three-point range. The Sooners will meet Washington (a 78-71 winner over Utah on Thursday) in Friday's second semifinal (midnight Eastern time on ESPN2).

HPU refused to be intimidated out of the gates by the powerful Sooners of the Big XII, who have the nation's longest current postseason streak (23 seasons). Akeem Scott scored six of the Panthers' first eight points to give High Point its third different lead less than four minutes into the contest, an 8-6 advantage.

But Oklahoma heated up from outside and got a strong first half from Johnnie Gilbert (nine points off the bench) and outscored the Panthers 20-10 over the final 9:47 of the first half to take a 41-27 advantage to intermission.

OU picked up where it left off after halftime by opening the second stanza on a 10-1 run to gallop to a 53-28 lead following a Lavender trey with 16:46 to play.

The Panthers would battle back with a 10-1 run of their own to pull within 54-38 on a three-pointer by Issa Konaré at the 13:15 mark, but could get no closer. Oklahoma shot 60 percent (18-of-30) from the field in the second half.

Scott tallied eight points and four assists, while Konaré and Danny Gathings each added seven points for HPU.

The game was the first of seven contests for the Panthers in a 13-day stretch.

Depending on the results of Friday's HPU/Utah contest, the Panthers will face either Alaska Anchorage or Furman at a time to be determined Saturday. The losers of Friday's games will meet at 2:00 pm EST, while the winners will square off at 4:00 pm Saturday.

More coverage of the Shootout can be found at shootout.net.

Photo courtesy UAA Sports Information