Sooners advance to Crown championship with 82-69 win over Baylor
After beating Colorado on Wednesday night, Oklahoma returned to action in Las Vegas on Saturday with a chance to move one step closer to the Crown title and $300,000 prize. The Sooners did just that, taking down Baylor 82-69 in the semifinals to advance to the championship game.
It was a fast-paced first half that favored Oklahoma, and Xzayvier Brown set the tone early. The Sooners jumped out to a lead and never relinquished it, taking a 45-35 advantage into halftime. Brown led the way with 16 points and four assists on 5-of-10 shooting from the field.
Derrion Reid, Nijel Pack, and Tae Davis each contributed solid first halves, with Reid scoring eight points and Pack and Davis adding seven apiece. Despite being outrebounded, Oklahoma maintained control by taking care of the ball, committing just two turnovers compared to Baylor’s eight. That led to 13 points off turnovers for the Sooners.
Baylor opened the second half with an 8-0 run after switching to a zone defense, tying the game at 48-48. From there, the game went back and forth until Oklahoma created separation. With five minutes remaining, the Sooners went on a 9-0 run to take their largest lead of the game at 72-61.
Oklahoma never let Baylor back within striking distance, closing out an 82-69 win to advance to the Crown championship game.
NOTES
— Xzayvier Brown led the way with 21 points, seven assists, and six rebounds in 35 minutes, shooting 7-of-15 from the field, 2-of-6 from three, and 5-of-5 from the free throw line.
— Nijel Pack added 15 points, three assists, and three steals in 32 minutes on 6-of-13 shooting and 3-of-7 from deep.
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— Tae Davis finished with 18 points, five rebounds, and three assists in 29 minutes on 5-of-10 shooting.
— Derrion Reid also scored in double figures with 17 points on an efficient 7-of-11 shooting in 34 minutes.
— Mohamed Wague recorded two points and five rebounds in 23 minutes.
— Kai Rogers provided a solid lift off the bench with four points and four rebounds in 17 minutes on perfect shooting.
— Jadon Jones played 19 minutes and grabbed two rebounds, while Kuol Atak added five points in 10 minutes.
Oklahoma will face the winner of Creighton vs. West Virginia on Sunday, April 5 at 4:30 p.m. CT on FOX. The winner will claim the Crown title and a $300,000 prize, while the Sooners have already secured at least $100,000.
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