Before Saturday's game, ESPN analyst Joe Lunardi said the Sooners were walking a "proverbial tight rope" with their NCAA Tournament chances.
For most of the second half, it appeared that only Dayton Forsythe got the memo.
The true freshman fought his hardest to keep the Sooners afloat. Forsythe poured in 23 points and four three pointers after halftime, sinking basket after basket as Ole Miss threatened to pull away.
It almost worked, as the Sooners turned a nine-point deficit with eight minutes to go into a late lead. Duke Miles, who scored three baskets in the final three minutes, made a layup with 31 seconds to go.
But, like clockwork, Ole Miss guard Sean Pedulla sank a clutch triple over Sam Godwin to give the Rebels a one-point lead with 14 seconds to go. Forsythe was forced out of bounds and was whistled for shooting the ball over the backboard on the other end.
The Rebels made two free throws to push the lead to three, and Miles' 70-foot heave as the buzzer sounded didn't go. The Sooners dropped a crusher in Oxford, 87-84, to fall to 17-12 on the season and 4-12 in conference play.
The loss puts the Sooners' hopes for the postseason in serious jeopardy.
Here are a few notes from the game:
NOTES
— Jalon Moore had his least-productive game of the season, finishing with just two points and four rebounds in 26 minutes. He played just nine minutes in the second half, and appeared to be injured on a dunk attempt in the first half.
Moore, who leads the Sooners with over 17 points per game, just wasn't aggressive when he was on the floor. The Sooners likely would've lost by a lot more if not for Forsythe's 25 points.
— Jeremiah Fears struggled with his shoot, scoring 13 points on 4-of-14 shooting. But he added seven assist and five rebounds, and the Sooners outscored Ole Miss by one in his 35 minutes.
— Forsythe's 25 points were a career high.
— Miles (15 points, five assists) and Sam Godwin (12 points) were solid contributors on offense.
Godwin found himself in an unfortunate situation late in the game, as he was switched onto Pedulla before the Ole Miss guard sank the go-ahead 3-pointer.
— The Sooners committed four of their 15 turnovers in the first 2:18 of the game, and it was a big reason why the fell into an eight-point deficit early. The Sooners trailed for nearly 33 of the 40 minutes.
— Pedulla, an Edmond native who OU pursued hard in the transfer portal last summer, led the Rebels with 26 points. Pedulla's late-game heroics come just a few days after Kentucky guard (and former OU player) Otega Oweh sank a game-winning shot to beat the Sooners on Wednesday.
— The Sooners came into the game as one of the Last Four Teams into the tournament, per ESPN. With two games left against No. 14 Missouri and Texas — both unranked teams — the Sooners likely need to win both to keep their tournament hopes alive.
— Up next: The Sooners host Missouri for their home finale on Wednesday (7 p.m.).
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