Things were balanced, and scores were tallied at Lloyd Noble Center by the time the Oklahoma Sooners and Cincinnati Bearcats concluded their usual run in the NCAA’s basketball event. Both sides entered the OT session so that the crowd could get their champion of the evening. The Sooners bagged three free throws and restricted their opponent from further finding the net. That way, the court witnessed a close-knit game wherein Oklahoma went home with the win or an OT win.
Darthard scored his season-high 18 points, including the ones in the OT. He bagged three free throws moments before the game was called off. Le’Tre carried a lot on his shoulders, considering the side was without their leading scorer, Javian McCollum. He rose to the occasion, and rightly so.
The scoreboard for the first half reflected a favorable outcome for the Bearcats, with 28 points over a single deficit. A quick recovery in the second half brought Oklahoma to par to push the game to the next stage. The difference was not massive, but the Sooners remained happy about it. Bagging seven points for a margin of a 3-point win mattered more than anything. The final tally recorded was 74-71 for the Oklahoma Sooners.
Rivaldo and Jalon Moore closely followed Darthard. Each contributed 16 points to the board. Moore hosted a higher number of cards with 3 assists and 7 rebounds.
The Bearcats distributed the load among Simas, John Newman III, Dan Skillings Jr., and Jizzle James. Jizzle topped the charts by digging the net for 16 points. James further made up with 1 rebound and 1 assist throughout his official run. Newman stayed behind by a single point, bringing 15 to his name along with 2 rebounds. Dan and Simas stayed at the door with 13 and 10 points each.
Cincinnati recorded a higher number of steals, with 11 against their names. Oklahoma is the number four sport in the section. Total rebounds for the Bearcats were higher by 3, recording 35 over 32 on the other side.
Cincinnati has struggled, losing four of its last five games without establishing a notable win streak. Their sole victory came against Kansas State, securing a narrow 74-72 win. Despite initially trailing, Cincinnati managed to maintain their lead throughout the game, ultimately clinching victory by a mere two points—an outcome closely monitored by fans on online basketball betting sites.
Oklahoma has now won two of its previous five games. Another win was against the Oklahoma State Cowboys by 84-82. That was also an OT win, wherein the Cowboys could not match the efforts. Hence, falling short by 2 points will balance the scorecard.
The Sooners will next face Texas at Moody Center. The Bearcats will lock horns with West Virginia at Fifth Third Arena in the NCAA Men’s basketball tournament. Other games to look out for are between UCF and Houston, South Carolina and Tennessee, and Marquette and UConn.
