OU basketball rallies past Michigan as Jeremiah Fears keeps Sooners undefeated

Posted by Admin December 19, 2024 Basketball

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Jeremiah Fears looked like a freshman for much of the final minutes of OU’s Jumpman Invitational showdown with Michigan on Wednesday in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Fears committed a series of turnovers and it seemed as if the Sooners were destined to come up just short after continually battling back against the 21st-ranked Wolverines.

But then Fears showed the electricity that he flashed throughout the rest of the second half, converting a four-point play in the final seconds to lift No. 15 Oklahoma to a scintillating 87-86 win.

It didn’t look like the Sooners would get such a chance.

But in the closing minute, Sam Godwin blocked a shot from 7-footer Danny Wolf underneath the basket and Glenn Taylor Jr. picked up a steal to set up the late heroics.

It looked like the best-case scenario for the Sooners involved forcing overtime, but Fears made sure that didn’t happen.

He came off a screen, elevating to drain the game-tying 3-pointer as he absorbed a foul from Michigan’s Roddy Gayle Jr.

Fears calmly hit the free throw to put the Sooners ahead.

Michigan had to settle for a 3-pointer on the final possession, but Tre Donaldson’s shot hit off the back iron and by the time Wolf corralled it, time had expired, giving the Sooners (11-0) their best start since 2015-16.

Fears finished with 30 points, 20 in the second half. He was 8 of 12 from the field and 11 of 13 from the free-throw line.

Here are two other takeaways from the win:

3-point shooting makes the difference

The Sooners hit 12 3-pointers, shooting better from beyond the arc (48%) than they did inside it (46.9%).

While OU had plenty of success from distance — with Fears, Jalon Moore and Duke Miles hitting three 3-pointers each — Michigan struggled.

The Wolverines were just 4 of 28 from beyond the arc, with no player hitting multiple threes.

Michigan hadn’t surrendered more than 11 3-pointers in a game this season and only one team had shot better than 40% on 3-pointers against the Wolverines.

Sam Godwin navigates early foul trouble

OU’s 6-foot-9 forward Sam Godwin figured to be a big key to slowing down Michigan’s dual 7-footers, Vladislav Goldin and Danny Wolf.

But Godwin played just 10 minutes in the first half after picking up his second foul with just less than five minutes remaining before halftime.

Goldin and Wolf combined for 27 points in the first half, though just one of them came in the final 4:45 of the first half with Godwin on the bench as the Sooners were able to hold serve and keep the deficit at five going into the break.

Godwin never picked up another foul, though, allowing him to play 17 minutes in the second half and make the critical block late that kept OU’s hopes alive.

The Sooners did struggle with foul trouble in the second half, though, as Jalon Moore fouled out late in the game and Fears finished with four fouls.

Goldin and Wolf had just 14 points in the second half, with Goldin finishing with a team-high 26.

What time does OU play today? Oklahoma vs Michigan time

Date: Wednesday, Dec. 18
Start time: 8 p.m. CT

The Oklahoma vs Michigan game starts at 8 p.m. from Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

What channel is Oklahoma vs Michigan on today?

TV cannel: ESPN2

Livestream: ESPN+ (here’s how to stream it live)

Oklahoma vs Michigan will be broadcasted on ESPN2. It will also be streamed on ESPN+.

OU vs. Michigan men’s basketball highlights

Oklahoma men’s basketball schedule 2024

All times are Central Standard Time (CST)

Monday, Nov. 4:Oklahoma 93, Lindenwood 60
Monday, Nov. 11:Oklahoma 73, Northwestern State 57
Saturday, Nov. 16:Oklahoma 85, Stetson 64
Thursday, Nov. 21:Oklahoma 84, East Texas A&M 56
Wednesday, Nov. 27:Oklahoma 79, Providence 77
Thursday, Nov. 28:Oklahoma 82, Arizona 77
Friday, Nov. 29:Oklahoma 69, Louisville 64
Tuesday, Dec. 3:Oklahoma 76, Georgia Tech 61
Saturday, Dec. 7:Oklahoma 94, Alcorn State 78
Saturday, Dec. 14:Oklahoma 80, Oklahoma State 65
Wednesday, Dec. 18: vs. Michigan at 8 p.m. in Charlotte, North Carolina (ESPN2)
Sunday, Dec. 22: vs. Central Arkansas at noon (SEC Network+)
Sunday, Dec. 29: vs. Prairie View A&M at 1 p.m. (SEC Network+)
Saturday, Jan. 4: at Alabama at 5 p.m. (SEC Network)
Wednesday, Jan. 8: vs. Texas A&M at 8 p.m. (SEC Network)
Saturday, Jan. 11: at Georgia at 5 p.m. (ESPN or ESPN2)
Wednesday, Jan. 15: vs. Texas at 9 p.m. (SEC Network)
Saturday, Jan. 18: vs. South Carolina at TBD (ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU)
Saturday, Jan. 25: at Arkansas at 7:30 p.m. (ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU)
Tuesday, Jan. 28: at Texas A&M at 8 p.m. (SEC Network)
Saturday, Feb. 1: Vanderbilt at 2:30 p.m. (SEC Network)
Tuesday, Feb. 4: at Auburn at 8 p.m. (SEC Network)
Saturday, Feb. 8: vs. Tennessee at 11 a.m. (ESPN or ESPN2)
Wednesday, Feb. 12: at Missouri at 8 p.m. (SEC Network)
Saturday, Feb. 15: vs. LSU at 5 p.m. (SEC Network)
Tuesday, Feb. 18: at Florida at 6 p.m. (ESPN2)
Saturday, Feb. 22: vs. Mississippi State at noon (SEC Network)
Wednesday, Feb. 26: vs. Kentucky at 8 p.m. (SEC Network)
Saturday, March 1: at Ole Miss at 1 p.m. (ESPN or ESPN2)
Wednesday, March 5: vs. Missouri at 7 p.m. (SEC Network+)
Saturday, March 8: at Texas at 7 p.m. (SEC Network)

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