Box Score Score: Oklahoma 85, VCU 81 – NCAA Tournament Second Round
Location: Oklahoma City, Okla. (Chesapeake Arena)
Records: VCU 25-11, Oklahoma 27-7
The short story: Melvin Johnson and JeQuan Lewis combined for 45 points and led VCU back from a double-digit halftime deficit, but second-seeded Oklahoma held on for an 85-81 victory behind the heroics of Buddy Hield Sunday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Oklahoma City.
THE DIFFERENCE
- Hield, a National Player of the Year candidate and likely NBA Lottery pick, scored 29 of his game-high 36 in the second half and scored 14 of 16 points for the Sooners over a critical six-minute second-half stretch.
- VCU, which trailed 44-31 at the half, wrestled back to take the lead on three occasions, the last on a short hook by Jordan Burgess with 7:16 remaining. But Hield responded with a 3-pointer – one of six in the game - moments later to give Oklahoma a 69-67 edge. That trey sparked a 9-0 push by the Sooners and gave OU a 75-67 lead with 4:51 left.
- VCU battled back to within three on a thunderous one-handed dunk by Mo Alie-Cox with 1:17 showing, but Oklahoma knocked down three free throws in the final moments to hang on for the win.
- Oklahoma used a 17-2 run – sparked by a pair of Isaiah Cousins 3-pointers – to storm to a 21-7 lead in the first half. But three straight 3-pointers, two by Doug Brooks and one by Lewis, brought VCU back within 30-25 with 6:02 left in the half.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Lewis produced his second straight excellent NCAA Tournament performance. The junior point guard scored 22 points, handed out nine assists and grabbed four rebounds.
- Johnson, playing in the final game of his outstanding VCU career, scored 18 of his team-best 23 points in the second half to spur the Rams' rally.
- Sophomore Michael Gilmore, in his most extensive action since January, tied career highs in both points (12) and rebounds (8). His second 3-pointer of the night capped an 11-0 second half run for VCU and tied the game at 59.
- Hield knocked down 6-of-14 treys for Oklahoma. Jordan Woodard added 17 points for the Sooners, while Cousins kicked in 15.
QUOTABLE
- "Today we ran into a great team. Unbelievable performance by Hield there down the stretch. Every time they needed a big basket, he answered the bell. He's just a phenomenal player. Best player I've seen in college basketball. So I'm proud of our guys. We just didn't quite have enough." – VCU Coach Will Wade.
- "I just told JeQuan in the locker room, please keep working. He's a big-time player, as you can see. Next year he's going to be extremely dangerous when he has the green light. And he's the leader of this team. He's going to be the voice and he's only going to continue to get better. So for the most part, JeQuan, sky's the limit, so I just hope they're back in this position next year and going even further." – Melvin Johnson
NOTABLE
- VCU reached the NCAA Tournament for the sixth consecutive year, one of eight schools in the country with a streak of that length.
- The Rams won 25 games, and have won at least 24 in 10 straight seasons. Only VCU and Kansas can make such a claim.
- Johnson finishes his career as one of VCU's all-time greats. He scored 1,657 points, sixth-most in school history and knocked down a program-record 285 three-pointers. His 110 triples this year are the second-most in school single-season history.
- Lewis averaged 21.5 points, 8.5 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals, while shooting .615 (16-of-26) from the floor, in two NCAA Tournament games this weekend.
