On Saturday night, the 8-seeded Oklahoma Sooners overcame a depleted lineup to defeat the 9-seeded Missouri Tigers, 72-68 in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament. With the win, OU advances to the Round of 32 for the second straight Big Dance.
Without the services of sophomore guard De’Vion Harmon (COVID protocol), Lon Kruger’s team showed the level of intestinal fortitude that once vaulted it to a top-ten ranking earlier this season. Stepping up in Harmon’s place were seniors Austin Reaves (10-12 FT) and Brady Manek (5-9 three-point FG), who led the charge offensively with 23 and 19 points, respectively.