:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70606987/usa_today_17868359.0.jpg)
The Big 12 Tournament has been turned on its head.
The No. 7 Oklahoma Sooners stunned the No. 2 Baylor Bears on Thursday, hanging tight to pull off a 72-67 upset in the quarterfinal round. The Sooners will play in Friday’s semifinal round against either Texas Tech or Iowa State and have perhaps played their way into the NCAA Tournament conversation.
After trailing by six at the break, Oklahoma took control of the contest in the second half and had the reigning national champs on the defensive. A huge catalyst was Jacob Groves, who scored all 15 of his points in the second half and led the Sooners to the win. ESPN analyst Joe Lunardi did not have the Sooners anywhere on his board in his latest bracketology update but that may change tomorrow.
The Bears, who closed as a 7.5-point favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook, were without starters LJ Cryer and Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua. They’ll want to get them back before the NCAA Tournament, where they might not be a one-seed any longer.