It took a four-point play in the final seconds, but Jeremiah Fears kept Oklahoma perfect Wednesday night.
Fears sank a contested 3-pointer from the wing with 11.5 seconds left and fouled out as he was forced onto the court against Michigan. That shot tied the game, then the 18-year-old freshman made the free throw to lift the No. 14 Sooners to an 87-86 victory over the No. 24 Wolverines at the Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte, Carolina from the North.
The win pushed Oklahoma to 11-0 on the season. This is the program’s best start since the 2015-2016 campaign.
“It was just great,” fears said on ESPN. “Actually, it was for one of my teammates, but they ended up denying it and the coach just looked at me and said, ‘Make a play.’ …Just knowing the work I’ve done, I’ve put in countless hours and sleepless nights, and I think it’s helped it pay off today.
Michigan seemed on track to win Wednesday night and even took an 11-point lead with less than 10 minutes left in the game. But the Sooners went on a late 15-4 run to get right back into the game, then held Michigan scoreless for the final 70 seconds to set up their final play.
Vladislav Goldin led Michigan with 26 points and 10 rebounds, and Danny Wolf finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds. The Wolverines went 4 of 28 from behind the arc. It was the second straight loss following a two-point loss to Arkansas last week.
Fears finished with a career-high 30 points in the win while shooting 8 of 12 from the field. He went 3 of 4 from behind the arc. Duke Miles added 17 points and Jalon Moore finished with 16 points and four rebounds. They were the only three Sooners to reach double figures in the victory.
The Sooners will host Central Arkansas and Prairie View to end their non-conference slate. Their first SEC game since joining the conference will be at No. 6 Alabama on Jan. 4, which should be a huge test for Fears and the Sooners. However, based on their start, they look more than capable of competing with the Crimson Tide for the lead in this conference in the coming months.
