Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Oregon helpless as Hield hits 37
OKLAHOMA 80, OREGON 68
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Buddy Hield was brilliant from start to finish for Oklahoma, scoring 37 points with a fluid jumper and an answer for everything Oregon tried against him defensively.
In fact, there was only one remaining question after Hield climbed a stepladder to cut down the net that he had just set on fire in the West Regional final of the NCAA Tournament.
Can Buddyball take the Sooners all the way to their first national title?
Hield hit eight three-pointers, and Oklahoma advanced to its first Final Four since 2002 with an 80-68 victory over Oregon on Saturday.
“It’s special,” Hield said afterward, a piece of the net tied to his Final Four hat. “As a kid, you dream of having games like this. I’m just happy that we all made it, and we’ve just got to finish it out.”
Jordan Woodard added 13 points for the Sooners (29-7), who streaked to an 18-point lead in the first half and never let the Ducks back in it. Oklahoma is in the Final Four for the fifth time in school history, and Coach Lon Kruger is back in college basketball’s biggest showcase for the second time after a 22-year absence.
“It’s about seeing the feelings of satisfaction on the players’ faces,” Kruger said. “They feel good about this right now, but they’ll feel even better about it years from now. They’ve got a special, special spot.”
The regional final was a monument to the formidable talent of Hield, the Sooners’ senior star who passed on NBA riches for another chance to reach the Final Four.
He carved up the Ducks’ defense from all distances with his smooth outside shot and a knack for momentum-swinging buckets.
Even Orange County resident Kobe Bryant watched admiringly from the stands, prompting some Oregon players to compare Hield to the Lakers’ retiring superstar.
“I’m not Kobe Bryant,” Hield said. “They should not compare me. I just make shots. Me and Kobe [are] in two different classes.”
He didn’t have an assist in 39 minutes, but Hield didn’t need the help.
“Buddy just makes shots,” Kruger said. “He’s just unbelievable. He shoots with great confidence and doesn’t force many. He got it going early, and he made some big shots there in the second half to keep them from cutting into the lead, too.”
Elgin Cook scored 24 points for the Ducks (31-7), whose 11-game winning streak ended one game shy of the second Final Four in school history.
“No one expected it,” Cook said. “We were confident. We believed in each other, but this hurts a lot.”
Hield scored 17 points in the first half, capped by drilling his fifth three-pointer from three steps behind the line with four seconds left to put the Sooners up 48-30 at the break.
He hit two more three-pointers down the stretch, including a high-arching shot with 4:20 to play that pushed Oklahoma’s lead back to 17 points.
“I thought he had a phenomenal game,” Oregon Coach Dana Altman said. “And every time I felt like we were getting ready to do something, he would jump up and make a shot.”
Oregon had beaten six NCAA Tournament-bound teams by 10 or more points during its winning streak, but Oklahoma’s outside shooting and rebounding led to a firsthalf hole that was too deep for the Pac-12 champions. Hield had the highest-scoring performance against the Ducks all season.
The 22-year-old Hield’s senior year has become everything he anticipated when he decided to stay at Oklahoma for a fourth season. The twotime Big 12 Player of the Year scored at least 30 points for the 12th time this season and matched his career high for three-pointers. His 37 points were his third-best total of the season.