OKLAHOMA CITY — The Sooners were not aware of the college basketball news elsewhere. They had their own problems.
“It’s March. Teams are going to keep fighting,” All-American guard Buddy Hield said. “Nobody is going to go away. You have to put them away.”
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For a little while, it looked possible the 2016 NCAA Tournament would lose two No. 2 seeds in the same afternoon. But Oklahoma made enough plays in the final minutes to make their 82-68 victory over Cal State Bakersfield look like it had been comfortable.