OU-Michigan State Game Notes

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Postgame Notes
Oklahoma vs. Michigan State
NCAA Tournament Sweet 16
March 27, 2015

• No. 3 seed Oklahoma led by as many as 10 points late in the first half and didn't trail until 9:26 remained in the game but lost a 62-58 decision to No. 7 seed Michigan State in the NCAA Tournament East Regional semifinals in Syracuse, N.Y.

• Michigan State advances to play No. 4 seed Louisville on Sunday for the right to go to the Final Four.

• OU dropped to 37-29 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and to 5-5 in Sweet 16 play.

• Oklahoma outshot MSU from the field 41 percent to 31 percent in the first half but was outshot 48 percent to 30 percent in the second and 39 percent to 36 percent on the game.

• OU finished the season with a 24-11 record, its most wins since the 2008-09 campaign (Blake Griffin's last as a Sooner).

• OU junior guard Buddy Hield scored a team-high 21 points to move into 15th place on the school's career scoring list (1,366 points). He made three 3-pointers on the night to finish with 93 on the year, the fourth most in OU single-season history. The Big 12 Player of the Year added 6 rebounds and finished first among league guards in rebounding this year (5.4 rpg).

• In his last career game, senior forward TaShawn Thomas made all six of his free throw attempts and finished with 16 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks. Thomas finished his career (one year at Oklahoma after transferring from Houston) with 1,793 points, 1,061 rebounds and 262 blocks. He started all 131 games of his career.

• Junior Ryan Spangler led OU in rebounding for the 23rd time in 35 games this year. He finished with 9 boards.

• OU outrebounded Michigan State 38-36. The Spartans entered the game outboarding their opponents by 6 per game on the year. The Sooners grabbed 14 offensive rebounds and outscored MSU 24-17 in second-chance points.

• OU posted a modest 4-3 advantage in points off turnovers (the teams combined for only 12 turnovers on the game). The Sooners outscored their opponents off turnovers in 12 of the last 15 games, in 22 of the last 28 and in 27 of 35 contests on the year.

• Oklahoma held opponents to a .386 season field goal mark, the lowest opponent figure since the 1959-60 season (.339).