Tag: NCAA Tournament Bubble

Austin Reaves hits game-winning shot in final seconds against TCU

After being down by 19 points in the first half and 17 in the second half, Oklahoma’s Austin Reaves hit a game-winning shot to down TCU.

This is March.

Oklahoma stared a return back to the bubble on the road at TCU. The Sooners suffered a horrible loss on Tuesday night at Texas that ended with a Longhorn bank-in three in the final seconds.

Lon Kruger and Oklahoma got behind by 20 in the first half on the road at TCU on Saturday. The Sooners were behind 17 in the second half. Then, they came charging.

Oklahoma faced a 59-42 deficit with 10:22 left in the game. The Sooners clawed all the way back to tie the game at 76 with 55 seconds left. They got a stop, then got the ball to the hot hand in Austin Reaves.

The Wichita State transfer had scored 39 in the game. He sized up the TCU defender with eight seconds left, drove left, faded and released the shot.

Buckets.

Reaves scored a career-high 41 points, 25 of which came in the second half in the Sooners 78-76 win against TCU. The win likely helped secure Oklahoma with an NCAA Tournament bid and the 3-seed in the Big 12 Tournament.

Kruger and the Sooners will play Thursday night in Kansas City at the Big 12 Basketball Tournament in the last game of the day against the 6-seed. Selection Sunday for the NCAA Tournament is on March 15.

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Oklahoma falls short on Kristian Doolittle’s senior night, loses to Texas 52-51

With the game in his hands, senior forward Kristian Doolittle had a chance to leave the Lloyd Noble Center with a lasting memory.

NORMAN, Okla. — With the game in his hands, senior forward Kristian Doolittle had a chance to leave the Lloyd Noble Center with a lasting memory.

It was his senior night, and with six seconds remaining and a two-point lead, Doolittle went to the charity stripe in the double bonus to put the game out of Texas’ reach.

He missed both free throws.

Texas’ Matt Coleman then had a prayer answered with a bank-in 3-pointer to down Oklahoma 52-51 and ruin Doolittle’s last moment inside the place he called home for four years.

“It’s really tough,” head coach Lon Kruger said following the game, regarding Doolittle. “He’ll have that memory for a long time but he’s gonna bounce right back. He’ll work through it, teammates will help him and we’ll be better on Saturday.”

Just 130 minutes before Doolittle missed his final shots inside the Lloyd Noble Center he was recognized as the lone senior on the Sooners’ squad. Over his career at Oklahoma, Doolittle personified grit, toughness, and perseverance.

In his sophomore year, Doolittle was suspended for the first half of the season due to academic issues. He rebounded by winning the Big 12 Most Improved Player in his junior season. Follow that up with the fact that Doolittle played two and a half games with a broken nose while nearly averaging a double-double and you have an ideal college basketball player. A kid that has battled through adversity, fought for not only himself but for his teammates and program and has earned the right to wear the jersey he puts on every day.

Yes—Doolittle had an opportunity to ice the game with six seconds to go, but he was not the only one who buckled against the Longhorns.

The Sooners missed eight of their 29 free throws and shot an abysmal 2-of-20 from behind the arc. As life goes, the Sooners needed to go 3-of-20 to come away with a win.

Despite the loss, Doolittle led the Sooners with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and tallied one assist, block, and steal in his final game inside the LNC.

Oklahoma limps into Ft. Worth, Texas, for the final game of the regular season as they will take on TCU on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 3p.m. CT and can be found on ESPN2.

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Three reasons why Oklahoma lost 52-51 to Texas

The Sooners struggled and then had their hearts ripped out from them. Here are three reasons why Oklahoma lost to Texas on Tuesday night.

Oklahoma came into Tuesday night with an NCAA Tournament cushion.

Coming off back-to-back top-25 wins over Texas Tech and on the road at West Virginia, the Sooners could have all but clinched a spot in the Big Dance. Oklahoma was in what was an ugly basketball game from start to finish.

The Sooners and Longhorns went back-and-forth for the entire second half. Oklahoma had a two-point lead with two free throws and six seconds left. Kristian Doolittle missed both, and Texas would go on to bank in a prayer from beyond the 3-point line to lose 52-51.

Here are three reasons why the Sooners went down to their biggest rival on Tuesday night.

a shooting struggle

Oklahoma and Texas played one of the sloppier basketball games of the college basketball season.

For the Sooners, it was even worse than could have thought.

Oklahoma shot 28 percent from the floor and 2-of-20 from behind the arc. If it weren’t for 29 free throw attempts where the Sooners made 21, this game could have been much, much worse.

LOSING THE INTERIOR BATTLE

It is no secret that Oklahoma is one of the smaller teams in the Big 12 Conference. Starting Brady Manek and Kristian Doolittle on the front line can cause a mismatch.

That was the case on Tuesday night.

Texas outscored Oklahoma 24-14 in the paint and out-rebounded its Red River Rival 24-14 in the first half. The Sooners have

NO MANEK, MO’ PROBLEMS

A steadying force for Oklahoma this year has been one of the state’s own.

Brady Manek has been red hot for majority of the 2019-20 season. His 3-pointers helped bury West Virginia in a major upset on the road on Saturday.

Tuesday night was a different story. Manek struggled from the tip-off, scoring only 10 points on 2-of-12 shooting. Oklahoma tends to struggle when one of he or Kristian Doolittle are off.

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Three takeaways from Oklahoma’s 52-51 loss against Texas

Oklahoma (18-12, 8-9) had their souls crushed by Texas (19-11, 9-8) on a near buzzer-beater to send lone senior…

Oklahoma (18-12, 8-9) had their souls crushed by Texas (19-11, 9-8) on a near buzzer-beater to send lone senior,  Kristian Doolittle off on a sour note.

NO RHYTHM

For a team that wants to make the Big Dance, the Sooners had no rhythm tonight. Shooting below 30% from the floor for the entire game left Oklahoma looking hard for offense down the final stretch.

FREE THROWS ARE NOT FREE

Live free, die hard.

The two leaders of the Sooners squad failed to knock down gimmies in the final minute to leave the door open for the miracle-laden Longhorns. Oklahoma had 27 more chances at the line than Texas, making just 21 of 29 to the Longhorns’ two attempts and makes.

CRUSHING BLOW

This loss hits different.

Losing on senior night is never fun, but especially losing to a bitter rival on a near buzzer-beater. The Sooners have to quickly forget about the loss and move on to TCU in preparation for Saturday’s regular-season finale.

Oklahoma and TCU are set for a 3p.m. tip in Ft. Worth on Saturday. The game can be found on ESPN2.

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Three keys for Oklahoma basketball against Texas

Oklahoma (18-11, 8-8) meets up with Texas (18-11, 8-8) one last time for the Big 12 regular season.

Oklahoma (18-11, 8-8) meets up with Texas (18-11, 8-8) one last time for the Big 12 regular season.

Not only a rivalry game, but it is also senior night for the Sooners. Kristian Doolittle, the lone senior on this Oklahoma team will get one final game at the Lloyd Noble Center.

Here is what needs to happen for the Sooners to come away with a win.

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WHAT IT DOO, BABY

This is Kristian Doolittle’s last home game. What better way to send him off than by letting him do what he does best?

Letting the offense run through Doolittle is what got Oklahoma inside the bubble, so why stop now? Allowing Doolittle to pick and choose when and where to attack the Longhorns’ defense will create space and more opportunities for guys on the perimeter.

SLOW YOUR ROLE

De’Vion Harmon, Jamal Bieniemy, Alondes Williams, and Kur Kuath are all finding their roles as post-season play creeps in quickly. Getting solid minutes out of the bunch will pay dividends not just tonight but for the rest of March, and maybe even April.

DO NOT LET UP

There is no reason why Oklahoma should overlook the Longhorns. Texas is hot, winning four-straight Big 12 games while making a push towards the Big Dance.

The Sooners need to win out while Texas Tech loses out against Baylor and Kansas for Oklahoma to be named the three-seed in the Big 12 Tournament next week in Kansas City. The Sooners have to take control early and not let Texas have the chance to contend with them for 40+ minutes.

Tip-off is set for 8p.m. CT on ESPN 2. For full broadcast details, click here.

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When, where, how to watch Oklahoma-Texas

Oklahoma (18-11, 8-8) and Texas (18-11, 8-8) are set to square off in the second edition of the Red River Rivalry of the 2019-20 season.

Oklahoma (18-11, 8-8) and Texas (18-11, 8-8) are set to square off in the second edition of the Red River Rivalry of the 2019-20 season.

Both the Sooners and Longhorns are heating up at the right time with postseason play just days away.

Texas, riding a four-game win streak has had a rebirth despite losing three key players due to injury. Oklahoma, on the other hand, has won two games in a row over top-25 ranked opponents after dropping three straight with the low point of the season coming less than two weeks ago against Oklahoma State.

With both teams flirting with the ‘bubble’, this rivalry game means just a bit more than most.

Here is where you can tune in to watch or listen.

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WHERE: Lloyd Noble Center (Norman, Oklahoma)

WHEN: 8:00 p.m. CT

HOW TO WATCH: ESPN2

HOW TO LISTEN: Sooner Sports Radio Network—KOKC AM 1520 and KRXO 107.7 FM in OKC, KMOD FM 97.5 and KTBZ AM 1430 in Tulsa (click here for more options if not in either of those markets)

HOW TO STREAM: WATCH ESPN

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What Oklahoma’s 73-62 win over No. 19 West Virginia means for the Sooners NCAA Tournament hopes

Did you hear that? It was the sound of Oklahoma squeezing their way out of the bubble.

Did you hear that?

It was the sound of Oklahoma squeezing its way out of the bubble.

Typically a bad thing to those outside the bubble, the Sooners picked up a win against a ranked opponent on the road, giving Oklahoma a bit of breathing room as they head into the final week of regular-season Big 12 play.

With a win against the Mountaineers in Morgantown, West Virginia, Oklahoma secures a spot in the NCAA Tournament barring an absolutely chaotic meltdown over the final week of regular-season play. The Sooners now have back-to-back wins against top-25 opponents after dropping three-straight games to then-ranked No. 3 Kansas, then-ranked No. 1 Baylor and unranked Oklahoma State.

A projected 11-seed on Bracket Matrix prior to the win over West Virginia, the Sooners should move up thanks to a few teams immediately ahead of them losing at least one game this week.

With Texas coming to Norman, Oklahoma, on Tuesday, the Sooners have an opportunity to keep the Longhorns on the bubble while sending off their lone senior, Kristian Doolittle, with one final home win over a bitter rival.

Oklahoma and Texas tipoff at 8p.m. CT on ESPN2 on Tuesday.

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Three takeaways from Oklahoma’s win over No. 19 West Virginia 73-62

Oklahoma (18-11, 8-8) fought their way off the bubble this week with a huge road win against No. 19 West Virginia (19-10, 7-9) 73-62.

Oklahoma (18-11, 8-8) fought their way off the bubble this week with a huge road win against No. 19 West Virginia (19-10, 7-9) 73-62.

The Sooners needed one more win against a quadrant one team to feel really good about their chances on ‘Selection Sunday’ in two weeks and boy did they deliver. Once up 21 points, Oklahoma escaped Morgantown with an 11-point win.

BIENIEMY IS MUI BIEN

Jamal Bieniemy is heating up at the most opportune time for the Sooners.

Coming off of Tuesday’s game against No. 22 Texas Tech, Bienimey looked like he was trying to generate offense on his own. Today, he did just that. Scoring 12 points while hauling in 6 rebounds and dishing 3 assists, Bieniemy looked to be playing with as much swagger as his Super Bowl-winning uncle, Eric, has while calling Patrick Mahomes’ plays.

BRING IN THE CLOSER

Just as they did in the first matchup in Norman, Oklahoma struggled to put the Mountaineers away. After going up 21 points, the Sooners allowed West Virginia to chip away and pull within eight with less than three minutes to play. Although leaving with a win, Oklahoma showed they need to work on closing out ball games.

DOO YOU HAVE WILLPOWER?

Kristian Doolittle is the personification of toughness and grit. Playing through a broken nose for a game and a half, Doolittle had a procedure on his nose on Thursday to straighten it out. Over the past week, Doolittle has shown how much it means to him to get back to the NCAA Tournament as the Sooners’ lone senior. His 19 points, seven rebounds, and three assists were all either team-highs or tied for team-highs.

Oklahoma and Texas face off on Tuesday for the Sooners’ senior night. The matchup is set for 8p.m. CT on ESPN2.

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Three reasons why Oklahoma beat No. 19 West Virginia 73-62

Oklahoma (18-11, 8-8) finishes the regular-season sweep of No. 19 West Virginia (19-10, 7-9), beating the Mountaineers…

Oklahoma (18-11, 8-8) finishes the regular-season sweep of No. 19 West Virginia (19-10, 7-9), nearly securing the Sooners’ chances of making the NCAA Tournament.

Here is what went right for Oklahoma in their road upset.

DOO YOU DUDE

Kristian Doolittle is an absolute monster. After playing a game and a half with a broken nose, Doolittle had a procedure to realign his nose on Thursday. Without skipping a beat, Doolittle put up 19 points while hauling in 7 rebounds and dishing out 3 assists.

It will take much more than a facial fracture to stop the Sooners’ lone senior from getting his team to ‘The Big Dance’.

ONE HOT BIRD

Brady Manek looked like the guy that earned the moniker ‘Larry on the Prarie’, shooting lights out while putting the Mountaineers to sleep.

Manek was on fire from deep, scoring 15 points on 6 of 11 shooting (3-7 from three) while grabbing seven boards of his own and chaulking up an assist.

GREENLIGHT CITY

Jamal Bieniemy played with tremendous confidence against West Virginia. Usually, a guy that stays quiet and does not make mistakes, Bieniemy opened up the flood gates against the Mountaineers.

Leading all scorers at the half, Bieniemy kept it rolling in the second as the Sooners built a 21 point lead in the final period of play. With 12 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists, Bieniemy is heating up just at the right time.

Oklahoma is back in action against Texas on Tuesday, their final home game of the season. The Sooners and Longhorns can be seen on ESPN2 at 8p.m. CT.

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Three keys for Oklahoma basketball against No. 19 West Virginia

With ‘Selection Sunday’ quickly approaching, today’s game against No. 19 West Virginia (19-9, 7-8) is Oklahoma’s (17-11, 7-8)…

With ‘Selection Sunday’ quickly approaching, today’s game against No. 19 West Virginia (19-9, 7-8) is Oklahoma’s (17-11, 7-8) final shot at a quality road win.

The Sooners did beat the Mountaineers three Saturday’s ago in a 69-59 rout at home. However, West Virginia is a completely different team in Morgantown. With Oklahoma succumbing to a hostile environment at Oklahoma State last Saturday, the Sooners need to block out the noise, put their heads down, and ball out.

BRINGING BRADY BACK

Two points. That is all Brady Manek scored against Oklahoma State last Saturday. With Kristian Doolittle coming off of a nose procedure on Thursday, Manek needs to be the rock of the Sooners offense. Look for the sharpshooting center get shots up early to find his rhythm.

EVERYBODY SHOOTS, EVERYBODY SCORES, EVERYBODY WINS

Against Texas Tech, Oklahoma had a slurry of guys take shots that do not normally take shots. Jamal Bieniemy, De’Vion Harmon, Kur Kuath, and Alondes Williams were all taking jumpers in the early parts of their matchup against the Red Raiders. Despite not knocking most of them down, it seemed as though the Sooners were trying to find who they could rely on outside of the ‘Big Three’ of Doolittle, Manek, and Reaves for Tournament time.

STAY HEALTHY

No one has missed a game for Oklahoma so far this season. Doolittle played through a broken nose against Oklahoma State and Texas Tech while being the only major injury suffered by Lon Kruger’s team. With the final stretch before them, the Sooners cannot afford any injuries on the final day before the month of March.

Oklahoma and West Virginia are set to tip-off at 3p.m. CT on ESPN2. For more broadcast details, click here.

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