Dallas ? Oklahoma never had to worry about Colorado pulling off another miraculous ending.

The sixth-ranked Sooners led throughout after Colorado scored the opening basket and responded with a game-clinching run when things got close, beating the Buffaloes, 74-59, in a Big 12 Conference tournament quarterfinal game Friday night.

“Bottom line, we just played a much better team,” Colorado coach Ricardo Patton said. “They have the look of a team that has been to the Final Four.”

Even with center Jabahri Brown fouling out with 10:33 left and second-leading scorer Ebi Ere limited because of a bandage around his left hand, the Sooners (22-6) were too much for NCAA hopeful Colorado.

Quannas White and Hollis Price both scored 19 points for the Sooners, who are seeking their third straight Big 12 tournament title and a possible No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

“We’re not worried about a No. 1 seed right now,” Price said. “We’re just trying to get through the Big 12 and get another championship.”

OU plays Texas Tech (17-11) in a semifinal game today.

Ere, who injured his wrist in practice Tuesday, made his only field goal when he sank an awkward-looking three-pointer with 13:30 left to push the Sooners ahead 50-36.

“There was no doubt he was going to play. When his bucket went in, I think the whole team was real excited,” Price said. “A guy goes down and comes back and makes a big play for you, you get emotional — that’s what a team does.”

When the Buffaloes (20-11) managed to cut the gap to 56-51, Oklahoma responded with a decisive 9-0 run started by Johnnie Gilbert’s alert play.

The shot clock was about to run out when Gilbert drove into traffic, made the basket and was fouled as the buzzer sounded. He missed the free throw, but that didn’t matter.

“That was a backbreaker. If we stopped them, we have to chance to cut it to three and get some momentum going,” Colorado forward Stephane Pelle said. “We knew we had to play a perfect game, and we didn’t.”