Syracuse Orange vs. Oklahoma Sooners - Sweet 16 Simulation

COLLEGE BASKETBALL BETTING – XBOX Simulation 3/27

Oklahoma Sooners 7:30 ET

On Friday night, the final four teams will punch their tickets to Michigan (73-63).

Which way will this contest go? Check out BetUS’s simulation of this sports betting affair…

(click here for your printable March Madness bracket)

1st Half

The nation’s leading rebounder, F Blake Griffin won the tip for the Sooners, and promptly found the basket with a baby hook shot in the lane to give OU a quick 2-0 lead. A steal led to another fast break bucket to lift the lead to four, but little did HC Jeff Capel know that this would be the last time that he would be smiling on the night.

Syracuse got on the scoreboard on its third possession when G Jonny Flynn nailed a triple from the corner. After that, the patented 2-3 zone went to work and clearly frustrated the Sooners. G Willie Warren continuously tried to force the ball inside to either Blake or Taylor Griffin, and more often than not, seemed to get his squad in trouble. Orange F Paul Harris picked up three steals in a matter of five possessions and sparked a 12-0 run to put the Cuse up 12-4.

The struggles for the Sooners offense were complicated near the 11:00 mark of the first half when both Griffin brothers were whistled for their second foul less than 30 seconds apart. With both on the bench, the offense for Oklahoma was erratic at best. Both Warren and G Austin Johnson tried to keep the Sooners in it, as both hits threes in a span of four possessions, but there was no stopping the inside-outside game for the Cuse. Any time that G Eric Devendorf slashed to the lane, the result was either a lay-up or a wide open jump shot from the corner. Devendorf pushed the lead up to 28-13 with just over four minutes left in the first half when Capel inserted the Griffin brothers back in the lineup.

It didn’t take long for Blake to get into further trouble. He picked up his third foul on a charge in the low block and promptly had to go back to the bench. By halftime, the lead stretched to 32-16.

2nd Half

HC Jim Boeheim’s message at the half was clearly to put the Sooners down, and put the Sooners down they did. Devendorf started the half with a long range three ball, and then got a steal in the full-court press and another easy lay-up. With the margin up to 21, Oklahoma pulled out every stop imaginable, but just couldn’t make any headway.

Following the second media timeout of the half, the Orange was ahead by 20, and took their biggest lead of the game on a thunderous dunk by F Arinze Onuaku. Meanwhile, the Griffin brothers were still nowhere to be found, as both were still mired in foul trouble and neither ever really had an impact on the game.

When the full court press failed and shots continued to find iron for the boys in white, frustration set in. Capel was given his first technical foul with just over 10:00 to go in the game, and was ejected shortly thereafter. The wheels had completely fallen off.