The Oklahoma Sooners hadn't beaten an AP No. 1 ranked team in over 20 years heading into Saturday night's matchup versus the Houston Cougars. Since 2002 to be precise — the year I was born.
On Saturday night, they hoped to with 2024 NBA Draft prospects spread across both rosters.
It was also the year that Oklahoma had reached a Final Four appearance, the program's fourth time ever to achieve that feat and the program's last visit there since Lon Kruger and his unit with Buddy Field in 2016.
On top of that, the head coach who brought the 2002 Sooners team to such success was none other than Kelvin Sampson, the great defensive mind who currently coaches the highly touted, No. 1 ranked Cougars. Saturday night was his first return to Norman in a coaching setting in 18 years since his departure in 2006, and there were some pretty hefty ramifications.
In a Big 12 showdown, the Sooners looked to amplify their chances at a NCAA Tournament bid with a signature win before the Big 12 Tournament in the coming weeks. For Houston, Sampson and co. sought to further solidify themselves as the best team in Big 12 basketball with a 13-3 conference record.
Oklahoma's crowd sounded as electric as it's been all season throughout the contest, as the Sooners danced back and forth with the top-ranked team in the nation and played with emotion behind the Lloyd Noble Center's energy.
Both teams traded blow after blow in the first half with neither gaining any sort of separation, with no lead coming higher than Houston's four-point advantage just under 10 minutes through the half.
To start the second, it was nothing but sloppy, uncoordinated basketball from the Sooners. Several errant threes, fouls and turnovers immediately plagued the once minimal 3-point lead the Cougars held on them, as it took no longer than eight minutes to extend that advantage to 15 behind a 3-point barrage from guard and projected second rounder L.J. Cryer.
With just over 12:00 left to play, Rivaldo Soares and Le'Tre Dethard were huge in dissecting a freshly implemented zone to fluster the Sooners offense even further. But as Oklahoma spread the floor, the pair clutched up to hit several threes and help cut down Houston's lead in front.
But a banged up Jamal Shead wouldn't let that come to fruition easily, even despite some tough go's for him down the stretch.
In the final moments of a heated team clawing its way back from a 15-point deficit and seething for a win to help fortify their tournament aspirations, Sam Godwin's efforts were vital despite the eventual outcome.
Six-for-six from the field and 17 points on the night, his ability to help keep Oklahoma within two via a layup and one-for-two from the free throw line was enough for them to make something happen.
Off a wayward miss on Godwin's second free throw attempt with under 20 seconds remaining, Jalon Moore made gritty play as he had done all night, poking the ball out before it was ultimately saved by potential draftee Milos Uzan who through it off a defender out of bounds.
On the inbound, Javian McCollum — who saw his draft stock soar after a white-hot start to the season — got to the cup with ease and laid it in to tie it at 85 with 11 seconds left before a Houston timeout.
As Shead angled right down the floor out of the break, he exploded to the rim before being met by Godwin who affected his shot to force a miss. And as Dethard scuffled for the loose ball, it was jarred out to a prepared Shead – he snagged it off the floor, calibrated his shot and sank it ice cold to pierce the heart of the OU fans and players alike, eliminating their chances of taking down the top team in the country.
While there were no outright first rounders taking the court, the contest offered a unique look at those trying to claw their way to that very spot.
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