CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — With his team down four points and time running out, freshman Jeremiah Fears delivered the most dramatic shot of his young career.
Fears converted a four-point play with 11.5 seconds remaining to lift No. 14 Oklahoma to an 87-86 victory over No. 24 Michigan Wednesday night in the Jumpman Invitational. The win kept the Sooners perfect at 11-0, their best start since the 2015-16 season.
The 18-year-old freshman sank a contested 3-pointer from the wing while being knocked to the floor, then calmly made the free throw to complete the comeback.
“It actually was for one of my teammates, but they ended up denying him and coach just looked at me and said, ‘Make a play,'” Fears said on ESPN. “Just knowing the work I’ve put in, I’ve put in countless hours and sleepless nights, and I think it helped pay off today.”
Fears finished with a career-high 30 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. Duke Miles added 17 points and Jalon Moore contributed 16 points and four rebounds for Oklahoma.
Michigan (8-5) appeared to have the game in hand after building an 11-point lead with less than 10 minutes remaining. But the Sooners mounted a 15-4 run and held the Wolverines scoreless over the final 70 seconds to set up the winning play.
“We showed tremendous resilience tonight,” Oklahoma coach Porter Moser said. “To come back against a ranked team like Michigan shows what this group is capable of.”
Vladislav Goldin led Michigan with a double-double of 26 points and 10 rebounds, while Danny Wolf added 15 points and 10 rebounds. The Wolverines struggled from long range, hitting just 4 of 28 three-point attempts in their second straight loss following a two-point defeat to Arkansas.
The victory provides momentum for Oklahoma as they prepare to enter SEC play. After finishing their nonconference schedule against Central Arkansas and Prairie View, the Sooners will make their SEC debut at No. 6 Alabama on January 4.
“This team has a special chemistry,” Moser said. “Wins like this build confidence, and we’ll need that heading into conference play.”
For Fears, the game-winner marked a defining moment in his freshman campaign. “Coach trusted me with the ball in the biggest moment,” he said. “Those are the situations you dream about growing up.”
