On Saturday night in round 1 of the NCAA March Madness tournament, the No. 9 seed Missouri Tigers went up against the No. 8 Oklahoma Sooners. The Tigers did a wonderful job of sticking with the Sooners for most of the game but fell short in the end. This was a big win for the Sooners, slipping past their former Big 12 rivals. The Sooners were without De’Vion Harmon due to quarantining.
The Sooners Without Harmon
Due to the Sooners being without Harmon on Saturday night, that called for them to step up their game. The Sooners played a great game against the Tigers and eventually got a big lead in the second half. At the end of the first half, the Sooners were down by 1 point (27-26). In the first half, they made 38% of their shots from the field and 34% from the three-point line. The Sooners went 1/5 from the free-throw line, also having 3 turnovers in the first half, 5 less than the Tigers. In the second half, the Sooners stepped it up. By the end of the game, the Sooners had made 41% of their shots from the three-point line and made 81% of their free throws.
Reaves, Manek, and Harkness Combine for 58 Points
Austin Reaves, Brady Manek, and Elijah Harkless stepped up their game on Saturday night to help the Sooners advance to the tournament’s second round. Senior guard Reaves had a fantastic night ending with 23 points, 4 rebounds 6 assists. Reaves went 10/12 from the free-throw line, making 10 straight after missing his first two. Senior forward Manek also had a big game on Saturday night. Manek ended with 19 points and 3 rebounds, constantly hitting clutch three-pointers. Out of 9 three-pointers, Manek put out, he sunk 5, making more than 50% of them. Junior guard Harkless ended his night with a double-double. Harkless had 16 points and 10 assists.
Tigers Come Up Short in the Second Half
The Tigers played a tough game on Saturday night but put a fight. Despite the Sooners winning, the Tigers stuck with them and certainly made them work for it. The Tigers had a great first half leading at the end but were unable to hold it throughout the game. In the first half, the Tigers did not go to the free-throw line at all. They were shooting 48% from the field and went 5/13 from the three-point line. One thing that affected the Tigers was the 10 turnovers they had. Despite the turnovers, the Tigers were able to grab 36 rebounds by the end of the game.
Senior guard Dru Smith made sure to keep going until the clock ran out on Saturday night. In the final minute of the game, Smith hit 2 three-pointers, putting the Tigers down by only 3 points. Regardless of hitting those clutch threes, it was not even to beat the Sooners. Smith ended his night with 22 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists. Senior forward Jeremiah Tilmon also had a great game. Tilmon came out with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 1 assist.
Up Next
The Oklahoma Sooners will go up against the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Monday, March 22nd, at 2:40 pm. The Bulldogs are the No. 1 seed for the tournament.
