Jeremiah Fears and the Oklahoma Sooners fell short in their March Madness opener Friday night against two-time defending NCAA champion UConn.

UConn’s improbable bid for a third straight national title continued when Alex Karaban came through with a critical 3-pointer and a floater in the lane during a late run that helped the Huskies hold off Oklahoma 67-59 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Alex Karaban made the clutch plays down the stretch as the UConn men’s basketball team held on to beat No. 9 seed Oklahoma for its 13th consecutive NCAA Tournament win.