Graham’s 27 lead No. 6 Kansas past No. 3 Oklahoma 76-72

ESPN even asked for Hield for their postgame interview instead of Kansas’ Perry Ellis or Frank Mason. Third-ranked Oklahoma leads the nation in 3-point shooting percentage by a significant margin heading into the rematch with the sixth-ranked Jayhawks. The Sooners defeated the Longhorns 63-60 at Lloyd Noble Center.

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma often has found a way in close games this season.

While Hield did end up scoring 24 points and made some big shots in the second half, Graham helped hold him without a field goal in the entire first half as the primary defender assigned to the Sooners’ star guard. “But with the lead, we couldn’t get a stop or two”. Oklahoma is No. 3 and Kansas is No. 6. Kansas-all respect to them-they’ve won this league for like 11 years straight, and we’ve got to try to find a way to take it away from them. The senior had team highs of 27 points and 13 rebounds in the first meeting with Oklahoma. Oklahoma matched a season-low by shooting 33.3 percent from the field.

“And of course, Buddy can do a little bit of everything, and you got a stretch four, so I’d say Oklahoma is probably about as hard to guard as there’s been in the league”. The last five minutes of the game he splits ball screens. The 6-4 guard averages 25.7 points per game and is as good as anyone in the nation.

This Kanas basketball team has played better of late, winning four in a row.

According to oddsmakers from online sports book BetDSI, the Sooners are now 3.5-point home favorites versus the Jayhawks after opening as a 5-point fave. He scored the 46 points on 23 shots.

The Jayhawks lost at Norman last season 75-73 on Buddy Hield’s tip-in with 0.2 seconds remaining. “Either way, it’s fine”. A strong West Virginia team is arguably the only other legit contender within the conference to stake a claim for the top spot, though, leaving this Saturday battle on February 13 to likely decide the Big 12.

Hield has produced pedestrian first-half results against Kansas State, Texas and LSU, thanks to a bevy of ball denial and face-guarding. In the first half, he went 0-for-6 from the field and 0-for-3 from 3-point range, but he hit all six of his free throws.

“Buddy Hield’s not going to miss this free throw because he’s a 90 percent free-throw shooter”, ESPN’s Jay Bilas said with Hield at the line, and it was a reasonable thing to say.

“If you look at the percentages of what they’re shooting, we’re shooting and we’re within five, we feel kind of fortunate to not be in a deeper hole”, Kruger said. Winning every tournament game by at least 10 points, the Sooners beat Morgan State, Michigan and Syracuse and cruised into the Elite Eight. Lattin had six blocks when they played in Lawrence and is averaging 2.4 on the season, but hasn’t recorded a block in either of OU’s last two games (KSU, UT).

“I thought we got punked in Morgantown”, said head coach Bill Self. But with the Sooners and Jayhawks in a three-way tie for first place with West Virginia in the Big 12, the stakes are much higher than the first time.

This time he missed a free throw in the final minute that could’ve created another OT.

“We huddled up and he (Mason) told us he fouled out”.

Oklahoma students attending the pre-game festivities might receive some of the giveaways – about 750 hats, 1,000 rollabanners, 200 breakfast burritos, 200 donuts and 200 cups of coffee. Oklahoma and Kansas fans wouldn’t have it any other way.

Oklahoma is accustomed to this kind of fun in football, but it has been a while since there has been so much anticipation over a regular-season basketball game.

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