The chance was there.
Oklahoma (16-10, 6-7 Big 12) played host to No. 1 Baylor (24-1, 13-0) with an opportunity to essentially lock in an NCAA Tournament bid and get its second marquee win of the year.
The Sooners faltered, falling to Baylor 65-54 despite the multitude of chances to get over the hump against the Bears.
Here are three reasons why Oklahoma lost to the country’s best team on Monday night.
FEW MORE MADE SHOTS, FEW LESS TURNOVERS
Over the course of Oklahoma’s runs at Baylor, the Sooners just never hit that next shot or turned the ball over.
Down 28-15, Oklahoma cut the lead to six before halftime. Down 39-31, the Sooners cut the lead to just one, then a rushed Kristian Doolittle 3-point attempt allowed Baylor to cut the momentum again.
There were plenty of chances for Oklahoma to get over the hump, but the Sooners just couldn’t take the needed leap.
JARED BUTLER THE MOMENTUM KILLER
Baylor is the No. 1 team in the country for a reason.
The Bears defend. They rebound. They are tough.
But every time Oklahoma made that run at Baylor, it felt like star guard Jared Butler was there for an answer. Butler scored 22 points on 8-of-19 shooting, including 5-of-12 from three.
REAVES DISAPPEARED
If Oklahoma had any chance to pull off the major upset, it needed each of its big three to play at a high level. The Sooners got a little out of Brady Manek and Kristian Doolittle, but got virtually nothing out of Austin Reaves.
The Wichita State transfer has struggled for much of the 2019-20 season, but Reaves scored two points on 1-of-5 shooting against Baylor on Tuesday night.
That was just not going to get it done.
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