Oklahoma 82-77 Arizona (November 28, 2024) Game Recap

NASSAU, Bahamas – Freshman Jeremiah Fears scored a season-high 26 points, Jalon Moore added 24 and Oklahoma edged No. 24 Arizona 82-77 on Thursday in the semifinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis.

Duke Miles made a high throw in the lane with 2:55 left to take a 78-69 lead, but Oklahoma didn’t make another field goal the rest of the game.

Trailing 78-75 with less than a minute left, Arizona had three chances for a basket, but Caleb Love and Jaden Bradley missed three-pointers and KJ Lewis had a shot blocked. Fears finally managed a defensive rebound before hitting two free throws to secure a four-point lead.

Miles finished the game with 11 points and Luke Northweather scored 10 for Oklahoma (6-0).

Love scored 17 points on 7 of 18 shooting for Arizona (3-3). Bradley added 16 points.

Takeaways

Oklahoma didn’t look like a team in this tournament that was ranked 15th in the SEC’s preseason poll. The Sooners cruised to a 79-77 win over Providence after nearly losing their nine-point lead with 44 seconds left.

Key moment

Oklahoma had four 3-pointers and one three-point play on six possessions midway through the second half to lead 68-57. Miles, Moore and Glenn Taylor Jr. each made a 3-pointer, and Moore completed a three-point play on the team’s next play to take a 65-55 lead with 8:55 left.

Important statistics

Against Providence, Fears showcased his youth, scoring eight times in the narrow win. But he responded with five assists and just three turnovers in 33 minutes against the Wildcats.

Next

Oklahoma plays Louisville in the championship game on Friday. Arizona will face West Virginia in the third-place game.

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