UConn’s bid for 3rd straight title endures with 67-59 win over Oklahoma in March Madness

RALEIGH, N,C. (AP) - UConn’s improbable bid for a third straight national title continued when Alex Karaban came through with a critical 3-pointer and a floater in the lane during a late run that helped the Huskies hold off Oklahoma 67-59 on Friday night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Karaban had 13 points and seven rebounds for the Huskies (24-10), the No. 8 in seed in the West Region who extended their March Madness winning streak to 13 games, tied with Duke from 1991-93 for the second-longest without missing a tournament.

Karaban’s 3 on the catch from the right wing at the 3:40 mark gave UConn a four-point lead, and he followed with the floater at the 2:18 mark that pushed UConn ahead 64-58.

Solo Ball scored 14 points to help coach Dan Hurley’s Huskies advance to face top region seed Florida, a popular pick both to end UConn’s run and win the national title.

Freshman Jeremiah Fears had 20 points to lead the ninth-seeded Sooners (20-14), who shot 32.1% and made 3 of 17 3-pointers. Oklahoma managed just one field goal over the last 6 minutes.

Oklahoma: The Sooners were part of the Southeastern Conference’s record haul of 14 NCAA bids, though they were one of six SEC teams with a losing league record to get in. They went 7-14 after December.

UConn: The Huskies stand alongside Duke (1991-92) and Florida (2006-07) as the only teams to win back-to-back titles since UCLA’s run of seven straight from 1967-73. While they haven’t looked like a national title contender since they lost three straight games in Maui in November, they’re still alive for a three-peat after a tough offensive night that included freshman Liam McNeeley missing 11 of 13 shots.

The Huskies face the Gators on Sunday.