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.

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

UConn, the two-time reigning NCAA champions who’ve endured a season of angst, survived Oklahoma, 67-59, in a tense first-round game Friday night at the Lenovo Center. The victory was UConn’s 13th consecutive win in the NCAA Tournament spanning the past three seasons.