Tag: ncaa tournament

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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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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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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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