Jeremiah Fears’ 4-point play with 11.5 seconds left helps No. 14 Oklahoma edge No. 24 Michigan 87-86

Jeremiah Fears' 4-point play with 11.5 seconds left helps No. 14 Oklahoma edge No. 24 Michigan 87-86 | iNFOnews.ca
Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears (0) shoots a game-winning three point shot over Michigan center Danny Wolf (1) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. Fears was fouled on the play and made the free throw to secure a 87-86 Oklahoma win. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Jeremiah Fears buried a 3-pointer with 11.5 seconds left and drew a foul, then calmly sank the ensuing free throw for a four-point play as No. 14 Oklahoma edged 24th-ranked Michigan 87-86 on Wednesday night in a wild finish at the Jumpman Invitational.

Fears finished with 30 points on 8-of-12 shooting as the Sooners (11-0) remained unbeaten. Duke Miles had 17 points, including two big 3s in the second half.

Vladislav Goldin finished with 26 points and 10 rebounds, while Danny Wolf had 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Wolverines (8-3).

The Wolverines were in control most of the game and had a three-point lead and the ball with 30 seconds left before a turnover gave the Sooners a chance.

After several passes around the perimeter, Fears broke free and made a 30-footer from the left wing and fell back as he was fouled by Roddy Gayle Jr. The Wolverines still had a chance to win the game on their final possession, but Tre Donaldson missed a 3-pointer and Wolf couldn’t get the offensive rebound off before the clock expired.

Jeremiah Fears' 4-point play with 11.5 seconds left helps No. 14 Oklahoma edge No. 24 Michigan 87-86 | iNFOnews.ca
Michigan center Vladislav Goldin (50) shoots over Oklahoma forward Luke Northweather during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Takeaways

Michigan: This is going to be a tough one to recover from for Michigan. The Wolverines inexplicably went away from 7-footers Goldin and Wolf in the second half and the Sooners were able to battle back from down 11.

Oklahoma: Outside of a win over then-No. 24 Arizona, the Sooners hadn’t been tested much this season. But they showed their mettle by battling back against one of tallest teams in the country. Fears proved he’s a gamer with a huge shot to win it.

Key moment

Gayle turned the ball over with 30 seconds and his team up 86-83.

Jeremiah Fears' 4-point play with 11.5 seconds left helps No. 14 Oklahoma edge No. 24 Michigan 87-86 | iNFOnews.ca
Michigan center Vladislav Goldin (50) shoots as Oklahoma guards Brycen Goodine (2) and Duke Miles look on during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Key stat

The Sooners were 12 of 25 from beyond the arc, while the Wolverines were just 4 of 28.

Up next

Oklahoma hosts Central Arkansas in Sunday, while Michigan hosts Fort Wayne.

Jeremiah Fears' 4-point play with 11.5 seconds left helps No. 14 Oklahoma edge No. 24 Michigan 87-86 | iNFOnews.ca
Michigan forward Will Tschetter shoots against Oklahoma during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
Jeremiah Fears' 4-point play with 11.5 seconds left helps No. 14 Oklahoma edge No. 24 Michigan 87-86 | iNFOnews.ca
Michigan center Vladislav Goldin (50) drives to the basket against Oklahoma forward Sam Godwin during the first half an NCAA college basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
Jeremiah Fears' 4-point play with 11.5 seconds left helps No. 14 Oklahoma edge No. 24 Michigan 87-86 | iNFOnews.ca
Michigan guard Rubin Jones (15) drives to the basket against Oklahoma forward Sam Godwin during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
Jeremiah Fears' 4-point play with 11.5 seconds left helps No. 14 Oklahoma edge No. 24 Michigan 87-86 | iNFOnews.ca
Oklahoma guard Duke Miles (15) shoots against Michigan guard Nimari Burnett, left, and center Vladislav Goldin during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
Jeremiah Fears' 4-point play with 11.5 seconds left helps No. 14 Oklahoma edge No. 24 Michigan 87-86 | iNFOnews.ca
Michigan guard Tre Donaldson (3) drives to the basket past Oklahoma guard Duke Miles (15) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
Jeremiah Fears' 4-point play with 11.5 seconds left helps No. 14 Oklahoma edge No. 24 Michigan 87-86 | iNFOnews.ca
Michigan guard Nimari Burnett (4) drives against Oklahoma guard Duke Miles during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
Jeremiah Fears' 4-point play with 11.5 seconds left helps No. 14 Oklahoma edge No. 24 Michigan 87-86 | iNFOnews.ca
Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears (0) battles Michigan guards Nimari Burnett, left, and Tre Donaldson (3) for the ball during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

___

Get poll alerts and updates on AP Top 25 basketball throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

Create a free account

The Associated Press

Steve Reed

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.

Related Articles