Photo by Amy Frost

Sooner forward Tony Crocker dribbles past Davidson All-American guard Stephon Curry in Tuesday's game at the Lloyd Noble Center. Amy Frost/The Daily.

OU All-American forward Blake Griffin dribbles past Davidson All-American guard Stephon Curry Tuesday night in the game at the Lloyd Noble Center. Amy Frost/The Daily.

The Davidson Wildcats may have been the darlings of last season’s 2008 NCAA tournament, but they won’t play the same role in this year’s NIT Season Tip-Off.

Sophomore forward Blake Griffin’s 25 points and career-high 21 rebounds led No. 14 OU to a 82- 78 victory over No. 21 Davidson Tuesday night at the Lloyd Noble Center.

The Sooners played stingy defense, holding Davidson to 35.3 percent from the field.

OU was also solid at the free-throw line, hitting 83.9 percent of of its free throws, including 11-of-12 from Griffin.

The win secues a trip to New York on Friday, Nov. 28 to play the winner of the game between UAB and Arizona

Freshman guard Willie Warren added 20 points before fouling out.

Senior forward Taylor Griffin had 16 points, while Davidson’s junior pre-season All-American Stephen Curry recorded 44 points.

After slow shooting starts in his first two games, Warren began Tuesday’s game by hitting his first three shots, all three-pointers.

He was the Sooners leading scorer in the first half with 14 points, followed by Taylor Griffin who had 12.

The Wildcats held Blake Griffin in check in the first half, limiting him to just four points on 2 – 4 shooting, but he grabbed 11 boards in the period, four less than Davidson’s total.

The game started with both teams shooting a high percentage and OU jumping out to a 27 – 18 lead with just over 10 minutes left in the half.

But both teams cooled off, and the Wildcats outscored OU 16–11 to finish the half, giving the Sooners a 38–34 advantage at halftime.

Curry led all scorers at the half with 17 points, and Capel had mentioned after Monday night’s game that he is a difficult player to defend.

“He’s great,” Capel said. “And … I don’t use great. He has an incredible feel for the game, he shoots it, I mean it looks effortless just the way he plays. He has such an understanding and he knows how to pick his spots.”

OU shot 54 percent in the first half while holding Davidson to 31 percent, but the Wildcats were 7–11 from the free throw line, allowing them to keep OU’s lead to four.

Warren’s success continued into the second half, when he scored six quick points and led OU to a 10–2 run, but he picked up three early fouls in the half which forced him out of the game.

Blake Griffin picked up where Warren left off, scoring 12 points in the first seven minutes of the second half. His dunk with 13:43 remaining giving OU a 58 – 40 lead.

Davidson later made a 14 – 0 run, but the Sooners were able to hold them off to seal the victory.

The Sooners earned the right to play against Davidson by cruising past the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils 94 – 53 Monday night in Norman.

Griffin led the Sooners in rebounds and points, scoring 20 while pulling down 19 boards, which was a career at the time.

“I’m proud of our guys,” Capel said. “I thought we did some good things, especially on the defensive side of the ball … and what more can you say about Blake? Just what he’s constantly done, so we’re pleased with this win.”

Blake got off to a slow start – his first bucket didn’t come until there was 7:37 left in the first half – but he was efficient once he got started, going 8 – 9 from the field and dishing out two assists and forcing 6 steals along the way.

“I mean anytime you can’t really score inside or feel like you get an open opportunity inside it helps to go after the boards and get offensive rebounds, get defensive rebounds and start the break and just run the floor,” Blake said. “Eventually it will come. You can’t expect to get it every time down the floor.”

The Sooners had just a 35 – 19 lead on the Delta Devils at the end of one half, but OU went on a 27 – 4 run to start the second half to put the game away.

OU shot 52 percent from the field — 60 percent in the second half — and Warren and freshman guard Ray Willis both scored 14.

Capel said after the game he was impressed with the performance of both freshmen, and considered Warren’s performance the best of his short OU career, prior to his big game on Tuesday.

“He gives us an element that we haven’t had since I’ve been here,” Capel said. “A guy that can consistently break his man down off the dribble and create, whether it’s something for himself or someone else.”

The Sooners out-rebounded the Delta Devils by 11 and forced 25 turnovers. OU’s next home game will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22 against Gardner-Webb.