Dan Hurley, No. 8 UConn Celebrated By CBB Fans in March Madness Win vs. No. 9 Oklahoma

The No. 8 seed UConn men's basketball team won a first-round rock fight against No. 9 seed Oklahoma on Friday evening in NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament action in Raleigh, North Carolina.

UConn, the defending back-to-back national champions, have now won 13 straight NCAA tournament games under head coach Dan Hurley.

This was an ugly game for much of the contest, with neither team finding much of an offensive rhythm or form. The two teams notably shot a combined 9-of-42 from three-point range while committing 25 turnovers.

In the end, the difference was Huskies forward Alex Karaban (13 points), who came through in the clutch in the closing minutes.

First, Karaban hit a huge three-pointer to put UConn up 60-56 with 3:40 remaining in regulation.

Second, Karaban connected on a clutch jumper with 2:18 remaining to give UConn a 64-58 edge.

Lastly, Karaban made a huge play on the defensive end, stuffing Jalon Moore's shot, which would have cut UConn's lead to 64-61 in the final minute.

UConn freshman Liam McNeeley's free throws then all but sealed the win.

The Huskies overcame some solid Sooner performances. Jeremiah Fears, a potential NBA lottery draft pick, scored a game-high 20 points. Moore added 13, while Mohamed Wague was clutch in the second half en route to nine points and 12 rebounds. His putback with nine minutes left gave Oklahoma a 47-46 lead.

Ultimately, UConn was too tough in the end, and Oklahoma was too cold from the outside (3-of-17 from three) and overall (32.1 percent from the field).

The Huskies also got some solid performances from Solo Ball (team-high 14 points, fought through foul trouble) and Tarris Reed Jr. (12 points and seven rebounds off the bench). Hassan Diarra also did a little of everything (four points, seven rebounds, four assists, three steals).

Fans and analysts recognized the efforts of UConn head coach Dan Hurley, Karaban and the Huskies.

UConn will now play No. 1 seed Florida on Sunday at 12:10 p.m. ET in the second round.