Nijel Pack Torched Colorado in Overtime and Now Oklahoma Has to Face Its Angriest Ex in Las Vegas

Oklahoma and Baylor are about to reunite in the worst possible way. These former Big 12 roommates for 28 years are meeting in the College Basketball Crown semifinals on Saturday in Las Vegas, and the Sooners just barely survived Colorado to get here. This is not some friendly reunion.

The Sooners (20-15) needed overtime to slip past Colorado 90-86 on Wednesday, with Nijel Pack putting the team on his back when it mattered most. Pack scored the first six points of the extra period on two 3-pointers, then Oklahoma made every single one of its eight free-throw attempts down the stretch to seal it. Pack finished with 20 points. Tae Davis chipped in 19, Xzayvier Brown had 17, and Kuol Atak added 16 in a balanced offensive effort that showed Oklahoma can execute when the pressure is maximum. But Oklahoma's coach Porter Moser wasn't exactly thrilled with the road to that win. "We got some stops down the stretch but we were really rusty offensively," Moser said. "To stick with it, being down 10, we've been there before, just knowing you're going to win by getting stops."

Baylor Came to Play and Oklahoma Has Nightmares From Their Last Meeting

If Oklahoma was rusty, Baylor looked crisp. The Bears (17-16) demolished Minnesota 67-48, and they did it by suffocating defense and clean basketball. Baylor committed just five turnovers, shot 46.6% from the floor, and absolutely buried Minnesota's 3-point game. The Golden Gophers? They shot 3 for 23 from deep. That's 13.0% accuracy. Baylor dominated the boards 37-29.

Tounde Yessoufou opened the second half with six straight points to spark a 17-1 run that put the game completely out of reach. Obi Agbim knocked down five 3-pointers and finished with 17 points. Cameron Carr added 15 points and nine rebounds. Baylor coach Scott Drew knows what's coming Saturday: "They were one of the last teams out of the (NCAA) Tournament. They're playing great basketball."

There's one detail that should terrify Oklahoma fans. Baylor won the most recent matchup 79-62 back on February 13, 2024, in Waco. The Bears know how to beat these Sooners, and they're rolling into this semifinal with confidence and a defense that suffocates.

The Other Half of Saturday's Brackets

West Virginia (19-14) takes on Creighton (16-17) in the second semifinal. But all eyes will be on Oklahoma and Baylor when that Saturday tipoff comes.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.