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Oklahoma has won its last three games by an average of 17.3 points.
That didn't stop coach Kelvin Sampson from jumping all over his team after its latest victory.
The sixth-ranked Sooners look to make their coach a little happier as they host Hartford (2-1) on Saturday at the Lloyd Noble Center.
Last Saturday, Oklahoma (3-1) beat Prairie View A&M 75-63, but needed a late surge to sneak past the upset-minded Panthers.
``I thought the toughest team, the best-coached team, the team that played like the game was really important to them, was Prairie View,'' Sampson said.
Hollis Price scored 13 points in the final 16:30 for Oklahoma, which held a two-point lead with seven minutes remaining before pulling away.
``I just wanted to help my team,'' Price said. ``I knew I wasn't playing good. Coach made a decision to sit me down, and once I got in I had something to prove.''
Sampson said the Sooners, who reached the Final Four a season ago, may be living on their past performance.
''(They) remind me of fat cats. They've got pretty good lives right now, they're kind of satisfied with what's going on and their play.,'' he said.
``I didn't like our defense. I didn't like our guard play. We've got to get better in every area. We've got to get a lot more focused on what we're doing.''
Oklahoma lost its season-opener to then-No. 8 Alabama on Nov. 14. Since then, the Sooners have won three straight at home to California-Irvine, Princeton and Prairie View, respectively. Those teams have a combined record of 5-5.
Hartford comes in off a 65-52 loss to Oklahoma State on Thursday -- its first loss of the season.
Senior Pierre Johnson led the Hawks in scoring for the third straight game with 14 points, but Hartford shot a season-low 28 percent from the field.
Updated on Saturday, Dec 7, 2002 12:06 am, EST
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