NMSooner'80
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- Nov 11, 2008
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I only got to see one in person - the one in '87, that remains probably the greatest game in the history of the LNC. That was an incredible experience to be there, especially with the weather outside being more suited for skiing than driving home from a basketball game.
OU never lost to UNLV in the LNC, although some old media guides incorrectly listed the '77 game with the Rebels as a home game. It was in a tournament out there, and OU's Kiddie Corps gave their Final Four team a pretty good run before falling by a 100-89 count. OU whipped them pretty good in '84 and also won against the eventual national champs when Skeeter Henry and William Davis were seniors.
I would have loved to have seen the game in '89 out there, when Stacey King scored 48 and OU won by two, also greatly aided by a steal at halfcourt by Mookie Blaylock to seal the deal.
Back to the '87 game, it was wild from start to finish. If that OU team had played like that all season, they would have won the league and probably been in the Top 10. That's what made them so frustrating at times.
But, for one great day, they were great, and had to be. The game was marred somewhat by CBS' attempts to rewrite the outcome because of the "air horn incident" that also caused the refs to miss a three-point make by UNLV.
The last 15 seconds were something. Choo Kennedy hit a turn-around J in the lane, with 12 seconds left to put OU up 89-88. UNLV got it back up the floor without a timeout, and Armon "Hammer" Gilliam somehow got open for an uncontested jumper from about 12 feet away in the lane. I think he was so shocked that he shot it just long.
But, UNLV's high-flying Jarvis Basnight got position for the game-winning follow shot. He tried to dunk it, instead of just easing it in, and he rattled it out just before the horn. When it sounded, the place went absolutely nuts.
The game was historic because it was the first time ever that OU had beaten a No. 1-ranked team. Tark's team didn't lose again until the Final Four.
OU never lost to UNLV in the LNC, although some old media guides incorrectly listed the '77 game with the Rebels as a home game. It was in a tournament out there, and OU's Kiddie Corps gave their Final Four team a pretty good run before falling by a 100-89 count. OU whipped them pretty good in '84 and also won against the eventual national champs when Skeeter Henry and William Davis were seniors.
I would have loved to have seen the game in '89 out there, when Stacey King scored 48 and OU won by two, also greatly aided by a steal at halfcourt by Mookie Blaylock to seal the deal.
Back to the '87 game, it was wild from start to finish. If that OU team had played like that all season, they would have won the league and probably been in the Top 10. That's what made them so frustrating at times.
But, for one great day, they were great, and had to be. The game was marred somewhat by CBS' attempts to rewrite the outcome because of the "air horn incident" that also caused the refs to miss a three-point make by UNLV.
The last 15 seconds were something. Choo Kennedy hit a turn-around J in the lane, with 12 seconds left to put OU up 89-88. UNLV got it back up the floor without a timeout, and Armon "Hammer" Gilliam somehow got open for an uncontested jumper from about 12 feet away in the lane. I think he was so shocked that he shot it just long.
But, UNLV's high-flying Jarvis Basnight got position for the game-winning follow shot. He tried to dunk it, instead of just easing it in, and he rattled it out just before the horn. When it sounded, the place went absolutely nuts.
The game was historic because it was the first time ever that OU had beaten a No. 1-ranked team. Tark's team didn't lose again until the Final Four.
