“I could see it coming,” Malone said. “But I couldn’t get a handle on it.”
The game was over, along with Tech’s season. The Southland Conference champion Bulldogs finished 29-3, while the Sooners take a 31-5 record into the finals, the last step before the Final Four next week in Lexington.
Tisdale, who sat the bench for five minutes late in the second half with four fouls, finished with 23 points to lead all scorers. But his last two points are the ones that will be most remembered in a game that took its time and teased a sellout crowd of 17,007 before ending with an OT encore.
“Looked like we were out for a minute,” Russo said, “then we slowly crept back in there.”
Tisdale left with four fouls and nine minutes left in the game and Tech cut the Sooner lead to four, 58-54, on a Malone offensive rebound and bucket at 8:53. But Tech, playing man defense the entire second half, let a couple of layups sneak by as the Sooners spread it out late and went up, 68-60, with 4:45 left.
However, Tech came back on two Malone free throws, a steal and stuff by Willie Bland, two Alan Davis jumpers, and a pair of offensive rebounds for baskets, one each by Bland and Davis. With 2:27 left, it was tied at 72-72.
“We missed some shots going down the stretch,” Russo said, “but when we did, it seemed one of our guys was always there to put it in. Those were some determined kids out there.”
On both sides. The Sooners took a 74-72 lead on a Tisdale turnaround shot over Malone and held that lead and the ball with 1:11 left. But Oklahoma wasn’t able to inbound the ball, and Tech took over on its own end.
Within the final minute, Godbolt missed a one-and-one with :50 left, and Oklahoma’s Anthony Bowie did the same thing with :45 left. Godbolt rebounded Bowie’s miss, and Tech had the ball trailing by two.
With :17 left, Tech point guard Wayne Smith took a shot from 15 feet to the left of the key that Bland grabbed underneath as the shot hit only air. Bland went back up, and it was tied at 74-74.
The Sooners Linwood Davis pushed the ball upcourt and missed from 20 feet with :04 left. Malone got the rebound and threw an outlet to Godbolt, whose shot from halfcourt hit the backboard and ended regulation.
The Sooners scored off the tip on a Linwood Davis layup and Bowie got a layup, but it was mostly Tisdale in overtime. He got eight, including the two that made the difference.
Bland got four points in overtime and Malone got four while Godbolt hit two free throws with Tech trailing, 84-82, with :18 left. The Sooners called time out before the 6-5 sophomore got to the line.
“I was just thinking about getting up there and hitting them like I’ve been doing,” Godbolt said.
He did, but then it was Tisdale’s turn. With Tech in its stunting zone, Tisdale was surrounded by Malone and Godbolt. But when you have an All-American, you give him the ball. Tim McCalister did, with :08 left, and Tisdale shot it, watched it dance for four seconds, and was covered with Sooners when it fell.
Davis finished with 9-of-15 shooting and 18 points while Bland also got 18 to go with Malone’s 20. Smith was 2-of-11, but had eight assists along with Davis.
“Obviously, Wayne didn’t play too well offensively,” Russo said. “but he’s not an offensive-type player in terms of shooting. We’re more interested in his running the thing and getting the ball down the floor. Again, it’s a case of us having one or two players who don’t play too well, but the others pick up the slack. It’s been that way all year.”
Malone led everyone with 16 rebounds, and both Godbolt and 6-10 senior forward Willie Simmons, playing in his last game, had 10 each.
SEE BELOW: A Column from Teddy Allen