Oklahoma capped season with loss to the Texas Rattlers in the Third-Place Game at the 2022 PBR Team Series Championship in Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS – At the inaugural PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Team Series Championship in Las Vegas, the Oklahoma Freedom delivered a hard-fought effort to advance to the Semifinals, ultimately concluding the new league’s first-ever season fourth.
When competition got underway in Round 1, the regular-season No. 3 Freedom stumbled, losing to the No. 8 Nashville Stampede. Despite scores from Chase Outlaw and Eli Vastbinder, Oklahoma was outridden by one score, 176-264.75.
Via the loss, Oklahoma advanced to the progressive-elimination tournament’s first Last Chance Game. The contest featured the three losing teams from Round 1 going head-to-head-to-head atop five bulls, with the top scoring team earning the last berth to Round 2.
Starting the Last Chance Game with back-to-back 90-point scores in going a torrid 4-for-5, the Oklahoma Freedom rebounded in resilient fashion, obliterating the Missouri Thunder and Kansas City Outlaws to keep the team’s title hopes alive.
In Round 2, Oklahoma took on the No. 4 Carolina Cowboys in a seesaw slugfest. After a ride-for-ride shootout to start the game, with the first five riders all reaching the 8, the Freedom narrowly beat the Cowboys by 2.25 points, 267.25-265, compliments of a go-ahead game-winning score from first-round draft pick Vastbinder.
Advancing to the Semifinals, it was the No. 5 Arizona Ridge Riders that stood between Oklahoma and the Championship Game. Despite leading the game until the fifth, the Freedom were ultimately defeated 89.25-176.25.
In the team’s final game of the season, the Freedom took on the No. 2 Texas Rattlers in the Third-Place Game for the PBR Team Series Championship. Outscored by two rides, the Rattlers won, leading the Freedom to conclude the 2022 season fourth after the 86.75-270 loss.
PBR RidePass on Pluto TV will offer replays of all the PBR Team Series action from Las Vegas. Check https://pluto.tv/en/live-tv/pbr-ridepass for the latest programming schedule.
For more information about Oklahoma Freedom, visit https://pbr.com/teams/freedom/, Oklahoma Freedom on Facebook, @OK_Freedom_ on Instagram, or @OKfreedom_ on Twitter.