Seton Hall was en route to its first signature win of the young season — a big victory over a major-conference program when the Pirates can use all of those they can get.
Except, like a wide receiver thinking only about turning up field, they forgot to hold onto the ball.
“It’s going to be a tough one to swallow,” Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard said.
The Pirates had a seven-point lead with just under two minutes to go. But three late turnovers — including two awful ones in the final 30 seconds — allowed Oklahoma to come away with an 86-85 win Friday night in the semifinals of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic at Barclays Center.
The Sooners will take on No. 1 Michigan State — which beat Virginia Tech, 96-77 — in the championship game at 9:30 p.m. Saturday.
Seton Hall (3-2) couldn’t figure out Oklahoma’s trapping and pressing down the stretch. An 84-77 lead with 1:52 left became 85-81 when Sooners senior Cameron Clark put back an offensive rebound with 31 seconds left.
Still, Oklahoma (4-0) was on the ropes. It took two straight bad Seton Hall turnovers on the press to give the Sooners life. Clark (20 points) stole the ensuing inbounds pass and laid the ball up and Jordan Woodard came away with another steal and got fouled. He made the first of two free throws to get Oklahoma within 85-84, then missed the second one.
Clark grabbed the offensive rebound, blew a layup and somehow the ball ended up back in the hands of Sooners sophomore Buddy Hield, who was fouled. He made both free throws to give Oklahoma an 86-85 lead.
It was an ugly sequence.
Seton Hall almost turned it over again on the final possession, but Brian Oliver got a look and missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer. That was the only time in the final 40 seconds the Pirates got the ball past halfcourt.
“They’re a good trapping team,” Seton Hall guard Sterling Gibbs said. “They’re a good defensive team. I think we got a little flustered in the last couple seconds.”
The collapse overshadowed what had been a heroic second half for Gibbs. The Texas transfer and Scotch Plains, N.J., native scored 19 of his 26 points after halftime, getting to the line nearly at will. Gibbs, who sat out last season due to NCAA transfer rules, was 17-of-20 from the free-throw line.
Oliver had 19 points with five 3-pointers and Fuquan Edwin added 12 points. Mount Vernon native Isaiah Cousins had 19 points for Oklahoma.
Seton Hall meets Virginia Tech at 7 p.m. in the consolation game. The Pirates almost surely will be without star forward Patrik Auda, who reinjured a broken foot that kept him out for almost all of last season. Willard said the screw in Auda’s foot might have bent and he’ll have a CAT Scan on Saturday.
“The good thing is the bone didn’t break,” Willard said. “But there’s nothing good for us right now with that.”
A disappointing night overall.