COLUMBIA, S.C. _ Columbia's first men's NCAA Tournament game in 49 years was stopped less than two minutes after the ball was tipped.
Ole Miss coach Kermit Davis hopped off his courtside seat and called timeout, sensing danger after just four Oklahoma points.
His hunch was right.
The ninth-seeded Sooners started hot and stayed that way en route to a 95-72 win over the No. 8-seed Rebels at a mostly full Colonial Life Arena.
OU (20-13) has now won in the Big Dance for the first time since advancing to the 2016 Final Four. Ole Miss (20-13) was making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2015.
Two Kristian Doolittle jumpers gave the Sooners a 4-0 lead at the 18:46 mark, prompting Davis to try to halt momentum. But, really, there was little stopping OU.
The team that entered 216th nationally in scoring and 167th in field-goal percentage had 50 points and was shooting 58 percent at the half. The Sooners made 15 of their first 20 shots and built a 15-point lead with 8:47 remaining period. The advantage grew to as many as 29 in the second half.
Oklahoma's 95 points are a season high, perhaps a good omen as it advances to face No. 1 Virginia, who survived a scare from 16th-seed Gardner-Webb later in the day.
The Sooners, who shot 57.6 percent for the game, were led by Doolittle's 19 points and 15 rebounds. Devontae Shuler finished with 13 points and three assists for Ole Miss.
