In a game that felt more like a preseason warm-up than a high-stakes tournament clash, the Oklahoma Sooners managed to edge past the Colorado Buffaloes with a 90-86 overtime victory in the College Basketball Crown's first round in Las Vegas. It was a gritty win for the Sooners, who had to claw back from a double-digit deficit against a shorthanded Colorado team.
Head Coach Moser acknowledged the team's struggles, saying, "We got some stops down the stretch, but we were really rusty offensively. To stick with it being down 10, and we've been there before, just knowing that you're gonna win it by getting stops."
The Sooners hadn’t played since their narrow 82-79 defeat to Arkansas back on March 13 in the SEC Tournament. Meanwhile, the Buffaloes had been idle even longer after a March 10 loss to Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Tournament. Both teams found themselves in the College Basketball Crown after missing out on the NCAA Tournament, and the extended break showed in their play.
The game was marred by rust and fouls, with a staggering 71 free throws helping to pad the score despite lackluster shooting. Oklahoma faced foul trouble early, with Derrion Reid and Kai Rogers both picking up multiple fouls by halftime.
Trailing 41-37 at the break, the Sooners had their work cut out for them. Despite Colorado missing three of their top scorers, they managed an impressive 53.6% shooting in the first half.
However, their offense sputtered in the second half, dropping to a mere 24% shooting and missing 12 consecutive shots at one point. This allowed Oklahoma to seize the momentum and force overtime, where they ultimately prevailed.
Looking ahead, the Sooners will need to shake off any remaining rust as they head into Saturday's semifinal at 12:30 p.m. CT. With a spot in the championship on the line, they can't afford another sluggish start, especially after being pushed to the limit by an undermanned Colorado squad.