By Shane Marshall

Staff Writer

sports.asp@gmail.com

March 20, 2015

UAlbany (24-8) plays Oklahoma (22-10)  at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:17 p.m. EST. We will have live updates from the game.

8:11 p.m.- UAlbany faithful, piling in behind press row, raised the volume level when UAlbany was introduced. The Great Danes may have a slight edge in the crowd.

8:15 p.m.- Starting lineups for each team:

Oklahoma: Ryan Spangler, Jordan Woodard, Isaiah Cousins, Buddy Hield, TaShawn Thomas

UAlbany: Evan Singletary, Ray Sanders, Sam Rowley, Mike Rowley, Peter Hooley

8:20 p.m. – Sooners win the tip, and we are underway in Columbus, Ohio.

8:20 p.m. Ryan Spangler nets the first points of the game for Oklahoma with a floater, 2-0, Sooners.

8:21 p.m. – Ray Sanders converts on the layup, and UAlbany pulls even, 2-2.

8:26 p.m. TaShawn Thomas throws down the first slam of the game, putting the Sooners up, 7-3.

8:27 p.m. – Under 16:00 media timeout with 14:43 remaining in the first half. Oklahoma leads 9-3. Spangler leads the Sooners with five. Danes led by Sanders’ two.

8:30 p.m.- Great Danes have come out more dynamic than in their America East Championship game vs. Stony Brook. Danes need a strong first half to have strong bid for the upset.

8:32 p.m.- Peter Hooley for 3, and the Danes cut the deficit to 11-8 with 13:20 remaining in the first.

8:33 p.m. – Great Danes coach Will Brown calls timeout, Sooners’ Buddy Hield put down a slam with 12:27, to give Oklahoma a 16-10 lead.

8:37 p.m. – Ryan Spangler still paces Oklahoma with five points. Buddy Hield and TaShawn Thomas have chipped in four apiece for the Sooners. Peter Hooley leads UAlbany with five points. Danes trail, 16-12. 11:47 remaining.

8:44 p.m. – Hooley drives to the paint for a tough layup. Albany staying with Oklahoma. Sooners lead, 17-14. 10:44 remaining.

8:45 p.m.- Sam Rowley blocks TaShawn Thomas from behind, and the purple and gold faithful start roaring.

8:47 p.m.- Hooley with a deep 3 that might’ve been postmarked from Buffalo, and the Danes cut the Sooners’ lead to 19-17.

8:48 p.m. Under-8 media timeout. Oklahoma leads UAlbany, 25-19 with 7:32 remaining in the first. Buddy Hield leads the Sooners with seven points. Peter Hooley leads all-scorers with 10.

8:53 p.m.- Ray Sanders finds Evan Singletary from the length of the court, and Singletary finishes the layup to make it 25-21, Oklahoma. 6:33 remaining in the first.

8:55 p.m.- Ray Sanders is called for the charge. UAlbany fans are irate, but Coach Brown remains composed.

8:57 p.m. Under-4 media timeout. Sooners lead, 31-23. 3:58 left in the opening frame.

9:02 p.m.- Richard Peters gets the offensive board and battles for the layup. Danes trail, 31-25 with 3:04 left.

9:05 p.m. Evan Singletary crossed up Frank Booker and draws the foul, some nifty ball handling from the transfer. UAlbany trails, 35-25 with 0:30 remaining before the half.

9:06 p.m.- Ray Sanders hits a 3 before the half, but Oklahoma’s Jordan Woodard answers with a buzzer-beating layup. Oklahoma leads 37-28 at the half.

9:09 p.m.- Buddy Hield and TaShawn Thomas lead Oklahoma with nine points apiece. Peter Hooley’s 12 points leads all-scorers at the half.

9:11 p.m. – Great Danes are shooting 38.7% (12 for 31) from the field. Sooners are converting on 48.5% (16 for 33).

9:14 p.m.- Sam Rowley has been held to two points tonight. Danes need their Batman & Robin combination of Rowley and Peter Hooley to put points on the board in the second half to advance.

9:27 p.m. – Teams are on the court and ready to start the second half. UAlbany has 20:00 to pull off the third 14-over-3 of the tournament.

9:29 p.m.- Sam Rowley gets the layup to go, and UAlbany trails just 37-32 with 19:11 to play.

9:30 p.m.- Rowley again, and UAlbany trails just 39-34 with 17:27 remaining in the second half.

9:32 p.m. Hooley finds Ray Sanders, and Sanders drains the 3. Oklahoma leads 42-37 with 16:41 to play.

9:34 p.m.- Under-16 media timeout. Oklahoma leads Albany, 45-37, with 15:06 left. Hield and Thomas still pacing Sooners with 12 apiece. Hooley leads the Great Danes with 14.

9:37 p.m.- After being held to just two points in the first half, Sam Rowley has scored two quick buckets and had six for Albany. Ray Sanders has eight, Singletary with five.

9:39 p.m.- Sanders with another 3 from the right wing. UAlbany trails 45-40 with 14:36 to play in Columbus. He’s got 11 on the evening.

9:40 p.m.- Stat of note, Albany’s Mike Rowley currently sits at four fouls. The sophmore’s foul trouble is highly influencing the Danes’ rotation.

9:42 p.m.- Greig Stire was just called for the defensive foul, and Nationwide Arena rained with boos.

9:44 p.m.- Oklahoma’s Frank Booker hits a 3, and Oklahoma has its largest lead of the contest. Sooners lead 52-40 with 11:20 remaining in the game.

9:49 p.m.- Wheeler Baker makes a swift, backdoor cut for the floater. Danes trail, 52-42 with 10:28 left.

9:50 p.m.- Under-12 media timeout. Oklahoma holds onto a 52-42 lead with 9:20 to play here at Nationwide Arena in Columbus. TaShawn Thomas leads the Sooners with 14, Hooley has 14 for Albany.

9:52 p.m.- Albany has six team fouls, Oklahoma only one. The bonus weighs heavily in the Sooners’ favor.

9:54 p.m. Wheeler Baker for 3 with 8:39 remaining in the game. Danes trail 54-45.

9:56 p.m.-UAlbany forces a turnover which leads us to the under-8 media timeout. Danes trail 55-47. Sam Rowley has six points this half. Peter Hooley has just two. Look for UAlbany’s leaders to will Albany back into this one.

10:01 p.m.- Buddy Hield hits a 3, and Oklahoma extends their lead to 58-47 with 6:19 to play. Albany holding on by a thread to its March Madness hopes.

10:05 p.m.- Sam Rowley called for the foul on Khadeem Lattin. Rowley disagrees, but Lattin knocks down a free throw to make it 59-49, Sooners. 5:04 left to play.

10:06 p.m. Evan Singletary hits a long two from the left corner. Danes trail, 59-51 with 4:21 to play in the contest.

Mike Rowley was called for his fifth foul. The sophomore finishes with two points and six boards.

10:08 p.m. Singletary has found his stroke from the corner. He drains a triple to put the Danes within 60-54 with 3:53 to play in the game.

10:10 p.m.- Under-4 media timeout. Sooners lead 63-54. TaShawn Thomas has 16 for Oklahoma, Buddy Hield with 15. Peter Hooley still leads Albany with 14, but he’s been held to two second-half points.

10:13 p.m.- Sam Rowley drives the lane and draws the foul on TaShawn Thomas. Rowley converts two from the line, 63-56, Sooners. 2:40 left.

10:15 p.m.- Evan Singletary hits another 3 from the left corner, and the Danes trail 65-59 with 1:56 left here in Columbus. Coach Brown calls timeout. Singletary has 13 points for Albany.

10:17 p.m.- Greig Stire can’t convert on the layup, and Jordan Woodard goes to the line for the Sooners. Woodard hits both, and Oklahoma leads 67-59 with just 38.6 ticks left in Columbus.

10:20 p.m.- Peter Hooley goes to the line and converts one for Albany. He’s only got three second-half points after going off for 12 in the first. Oklahoma leads 67-60 with 30 seconds remaining.

10:21 p.m. Oklahoma will dribble out the clock for a 69-60 victory. The Sooners advance to the third round of the NCAA Tournament to play the winner of the (6) Providence vs. (11) Dayton winner.

TaShawn Thomas led all scorers with 18 for the Sooners, while Buddy Hield finished with 15. Ryan Spangler finishes with nine points and 11 rebounds.

Peter Hooley led Albany with 15 points. Sam Rowley finishes his UAlbany career with 12 points and six boards.