Michigan suffered a heartbreaking 87-86 loss to Oklahoma in the Jumpman Invitational to Oklahoma. The Wolverines continue to struggle closing out games with all three losses coming by a combined five points.
The Michigan Wolverines suffered a heartbreaking 87-86 loss to the Oklahoma Sooners in the Jumpman Invitational as Oklahoma freshman guard Jeremiah Fears connected on a game-winning four-point play with just 11.5 seconds remaining.
Dusty May’s team took a 86-83 lead with just a minute left and it appeared the Wolverines were going to escape with a win until guard Roddy Gayle Jr fouled Fears on a 3-pointer and the ensuing free throw gave Oklahoma the narrow win.
The Wolverines were fueled by center Vlad Goldin scoring 26 points and 10 rebounds, and forward Danny Wolf posting 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in the last-second loss. Fears powered Oklahoma with a game-high 30 points.
Final. pic.twitter.com/xbOJxKnwoI
— Michigan Men’s Basketball (@umichbball) December 19, 2024
FIRST HALF
Michigan jumped out to a 21-13 lead that included an impressive 15-3 run, highlighted by seven straight made shots. The Wolverines dominated Oklahoma at the rim, racking up a 28-12 advantage in paint points throughout the first half.
Goldin was instrumental in Michigan getting off to a quick start, scoring 10 points in the first 10 minutes and finishing with 16 points in the opening half. The Wolverines shot 50 percent from the field and took a 43-38 lead into halftime.
SECOND HALF
Oklahoma tied the game in the early stages of the second half but Michigan immediately answered with a 11-0 run to take a 54-43 lead. The Sooners continued to battle back though and eventually grabbed a 76-74 lead late in the game.
Both teams traded buckets in the final minutes and the Wolverines found a way to forge ahead as Wolf hit Goldin for a game-tying layup, followed by guard Nimari Burnett knocking down two free throws to take a 84-82 lead with 1:51 left.
Goldin connected on a pair of free throws to extend the lead to 86-83 with just over a minute remaining and Michigan was hoping to get one final stop to secure the win but Fears drilled the clutch basket to complete Oklahoma’s comeback.
UP NEXT
The Wolverines missed out on a golden opportunity to pick up a quality win and end the Sooners’ undefeated start to the season but Michigan continues to struggle to close out games as all three losses have been by a combined five points.
It will be difficult to move past such a devastating loss but the Wolverines will have to refocus and turn their attention to hosting the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons on Sunday afternoon as non-conference play wraps up in the coming weeks.