Skip to main content
Colorado
Join Now

Colorado drops first round of The Crown to Oklahoma in overtime

by: Oliver Hayes04/02/26

Two consecutive College Basketball Crown appearances for Colorado (17-16, Big 12 7-11) and two first-round exits; the Buffaloes’ season is over once more.

Playing Oklahoma (20-15, SEC 7-11), the tournament’s highest-rated KenPom team, there weren’t high hopes for the Buffs. The Black-and-Gold was without three of its top four players this season, with Isaiah Johnson, Bangot Dak and Sebastian Rancik announcing plans to hit the transfer portal.

Yet, the one Buff who announced he’ll stay next season, Barrington Hargress, went for 31 points, forcing overtime with a game-tying floater with just over a second to go in regulation. Freshman big Alon Michaeli added 18 points and six rebounds off the bench. While Hargress, Michaeli and Colorado eventually lost 90-86 after the extra period, the effort from the young group was commendable.

Granted, the game wasn’t the prettiest.

With several weeks separating both squads from their last contests, they both shot under 40% from the field. The teams shot a combined 17-of-60 (28.3%) from the 3-point line. And there were 71 free throws attempted.

At one point, Colorado didn’t make a field goal for nearly 10 minutes.

With a little more firepower, however, the Sooners advanced in The Crown, with senior guard Nijel Pack‘s 20 points leading the way; he hit two 3-pointers in overtime despite an inefficient night. Forward Tae Davis followed with 19 points, while Xzayvier Brown and Kuol Atak added 17 and 16 points, respectively.

The Buffs put up a solid rebounding effort, grabbing seven more boards, but they surrendered 15 turnovers, leading to their demise.

Despite the loss and the final collegiate showing for big man Elijah Malone (two points, two rebounds in 12 minutes), the game was another stage for CU’s young players to compete. Freshman Ian Inman saw his first collegiate start, scoring 10 points and grabbing three rebounds in 27 minutes played. Sophomore Felix Kossaras added 14 points off the bench.

Names and numbers

Starters:

CU: Barrington Hargress, Ian Inman, Josiah Sanders, Jalin Holland, Elijah Malone

OU: Nijel Pack, Xzayvier Brown, Tae Davis, Derrion Reed, Mohamed Wague

Head-to-head:

  • FG%: CU – 23-60 (38.3%)/OU – 26-71 (36.6%)
  • 3PT%: CU – 7-23 (30.4%)/OU – 10-37 (27.0%)
  • FT%: CU – 33-39 (84.6%)/OU – 28-32 (87.5%)
  • Assists/Turnovers: CU – 8-15/OU – 15-9
  • Rebounds/Offensive: CU – 45-11/OU – 38-12
  • Steals/Blocks: CU – 6-3/OU – 9-9
  • Fouls: CU – 23/OU – 24

Colorado:

  • G, Barrington Hargress (41 min.): 31 points (7-13 FG, 2-5 3PT, 15-16 FT), 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 turnovers, 1 steal, +1
  • F, Alon Michaeli (29 min.): 18 points (5-10 FG, 0-2 3PT, 8-8 FT), 6 rebounds, 3 turnovers, 1 steal, -2
  • G, Felix Kossaras (20 min): 14 points (3-6 FG, 2-4 3PT, 6-6 FT), 2 rebounds, 1 turnover, -18

Oklahoma:

  • G, Nijel Pack (37 min.): 20 points (7-18 FG, 3-10 3PT, 3-4 FT), 2 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 turnover, 2 blocks, 1 steal, +9
  • F, Tae Davis (37 min.): 19 points (6-15 FG, 0-3 3PT, 7-7 FT), 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 turnovers, 1 steal, +3
  • G, Xzayvier Brown (38 min.): 17 points (5-14 FG, 1-7 3PT, 6-8 FT), 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 turnovers, 1 block, 2 steals, +4

Half-by-half

1st half: CU, 41-37

The Buffaloes jumped out to an 8-5 lead; they held Oklahoma to 1-of-7 shooting from the field before the first media timeout. Pack and the Sooners started 0-of-4 from the 3-point line. Yet, Colorado’s physical defense came with a price, as it picked up four fouls in the opening minutes.

CU started 3-of-6 from the field on the other end, with a post score from Malone, a 3-pointer from Inman and a Hargress mid-range.

The Buffs remained ahead 17-13 after the next timeout, keeping Oklahoma quiet offensively. The Sooners missed several 3-pointers before seeing their first one fall, which came on a Jadon Jones’ 4-point play. While Kossaras added five quick points off the bench, canning a triple, multiple turnovers and empty possessions kept OU close with just under 12 minutes in the first half.

Colorado finally stacked some baskets after some defensive stops out of the timeout. Hargress nailed another mid-range jumper, then Inman hit a transition 3, forcing an Oklahoma timeout. CU led 22-15 with nine-and-a-half minutes before the break.

The timeout was well-used by the Sooners, though, as they went on a 7-2 run. Atak found himself behind a brief 2-3 zone from CU, leading to a dunk. Then he canned a 3-pointer after a Josiah Sanders’ reverse. Another Buffs’ turnover led to a Pack layup, allowing OU to cut Colorado’s lead to two points with under eight minutes left in the first half.

While Oklahoma got close, however, the Buffs went on a 9-2 run, led by Hargress and Michaeli. The big man made some nifty moves, including a behind-the-back to his left hand. And Hargress kept hitting shots, making a deep 3-pointer and another mid-range. CU made four of its 10 3-point attempts in the opening half.

Oklahoma tried to respond, hitting its third 3-pointer of the half and drawing more free throws. But Michaeli and Hargress kept scoring, as CU shot 15-of-28 (53.6%) from the field in the opening 20 minutes. The Buffs led 39-30 with just over two minutes before halftime.

Unfortunately for the Black-and-Gold, it squandered a 10-point lead it held by allowing two 3-pointers in the final minute. Atak, OU’s leading scorer in the half with eight points, hit his second from the corner, and Brown hit one from the left wing before the buzzer. The Sooners finished 5-of-17 (29.4%) from deep in the half.

Colorado still led 41-37, shooting nearly 20% from the field than Oklahoma in the half. The Buffs kept OU off the boards, leading the rebound battle by four. Yet, the Sooners had forced three more turnovers and drawn five more free throws.

2nd half: 74-74 (OU, 37-33)

CU maintained its energy out of the half, leading 49-41 at the first media timeout. Inman made a turnaround fadeaway, and Sanders hit a contested mid-range and drew free throws. Hargress earned two shots, as well. Meanwhile, Brown was the first to 10 points for the Sooners, as he scored their only two baskets in the opening four minutes of the half.

After the mid-range makes from Inman and Sanders, though, the Buffs went on a cold streak: they missed nine straight field goal attempts. With long possessions, CU came up empty for several minutes. And on the other end, Pack, Brown and Oklahoma led a 7-0 run, cutting the deficit to one. Free throws from Kossaras and an Inman tip-in kept Colorado up 53-50 with 12 minutes left.

Both teams remained cold offensively, specifically from deep. The Sooners started 0-of-7 from the perimeter to open the second half. CU, while just 1-of-7 to start the final 20 minutes, saw a second 3-point make from Kossaras off a Sanders’ assist.

But the Buffs lacked momentum amid the lack of makes, starting 4-of-20 (20.0%) from the field to start the half. And Oklahoma finally broke the dam, with Atak and Pack hitting back-to-back 3-pointers. OU led 61-58, taking its first lead since the opening minutes of the game, forcing Colorado to call a timeout with eight minutes and 19 seconds to play.

The Sooners continued the run, eventually scoring 10 unanswered points before Kossaras hit two free throws; they led by seven points with seven minutes to go. Then, Colorado ignited a 6-0 run, scoring nothing but free throws. While CU couldn’t make a field goal, not making one for eight minutes at the time of the final media timeout, its 16-of-16 free-throw shooting kept it a 69-66 Oklahoma lead with three-and-a-half minutes left in regulation.

The Buffs had a chance to tie the game out of the timeout after Inman got fouled on a 3-point attempt, making 23 of their 24 free throws to that point. Yet, Inman clanked all three free throws. Sanders got fouled a few moments later and split the pair.

Still ahead by two points, Oklahoma scored five unanswered points. Wague got fouled in the pick-and-roll, and Atak hit his fourth 3-pointer of the night, putting his team up by seven points. But CU didn’t go away, as Hargress nailed a 3-pointer, his squad’s first field goal in nearly 10 minutes. The Buffs, which shot 6-of-25 (24.0%) from the floor in the half, called a timeout down 74-70 with a minute and forty seconds to play.

With Colorado finishing with 15 turnovers on the night, it seemed the game may have been done when Holland turned the ball over in the backcourt after CU forced an Oklahoma miss out of the timeout. But after another stop, Michaeli got fouled, cutting the deficit to two points. The Sooners hoped to put the game out of reach, but after Atak missed a triple, the Black-and-Gold had just under 30 seconds to tie or win the game.

Of course, the ball ended up in the hands of the game’s highest scorer, and Hargress looked to make a play. While the final set broke down and seconds ticked off the clock, Hargress attacked the rim, throwing up a floater over two Oklahoma defenders. The shot fell with just over a second to play, knotting the game at 74 points.

Overtime: OU, 90-86 (OU, 16-12)

The teams traded 3-pointers to open the extra period, one by Pack and the other by Holland. Pack hit a second 3-pointer, but Inman missed for CU on the other end, allowing OU an early lead.

While the teams traded scores, CU forced a few empty possessions and earned a brief lead. Michaeli scored a layup, and Hargress got to the line. But Sooners’ free throws gave them an 84-83 edge with a minute and 16 seconds to go.

Hargress got fouled and made free throws for the lead after a wild possession, then Brown quickly got fouled right back, giving Oklahoma an 86-85 advantage.

The Buffs had a chance to respond, but after taking an entire 30 seconds and nearly the rest of the game clock, an Inman mid-range came up short. Oklahoma went on to win 90-86.

What’s next

The Buffaloes now have an offseason where they will need to replace Johnson, Dak and Rancik. They currently have one open scholarship spot with less than a week before the transfer portal opens on April 7.