Oklahoma Sooners Torch The Nets In Austin With 88-85 Victory Over Texas Longhorns

In the first twenty minutes of the game, the Oklahoma Sooners struggled inside of the arc hitting just 5-of-16 two-point attempts. Fortunately for Lon Kruger, his crew came alive and torched the nets behind 10-of-16 shooting from three point land taking a 43-39 halftime lead over the Texas Longhorns.

However, UT had an answer as the second half got underway. With a 10-2 run, it appeared that the Longhorns would control the game until the final buzzer rang. Making a final push, Oklahoma took the lead with just under two minutes to go. That was until Isaiah Cousins was ejected from the game after received his second technical foul. On the subsequent free throws, Javan Felix knotted the score up at 78 a piece.

A silent night for Jordan Woodard quickly turned around as he took control of the game scoring ten consecutive points for the Sooners. Finding himself at the free throw line, up 88-85, this talented point guard had a chance to ice the contest. Instead, Woodard missed both free throw attempts leaving Texas with one final shot for overtime.

Demarcus Croaker tossed up a shot from behind the arc that was off the mark as the Sooners claimed victory, 88-85.

The Good

Oklahoma found their range early connecting on 62.5% of their attempts from behind the arc. This single stat can be traced back to why the Sooners found success tonight inside the Drum. In addition to the impressive shooting performance, the bench output added 22 points to the grand total.

Considering the fact that OU is considered to be undersized, a continual concern is rebounding. In previous match-ups, the Sooners have proved just how vital a stat line this is. When being out-rebounded, the Sooners have lost twice. Fortunately, Oklahoma came up big against the 9th best rebounding team in the country winning the battle 39-28.

Now, OU has the chance to sweep their most hated rival. Currently sitting at 12-2, it would seem that Lon Kruger and his squad are in position to make a run at the NCAA Tournament once again. However, this is a win that has the potential to push this program back into the top twenty-five.

The Bad

Lon Kruger cannot be happy with guard, Isaiah Cousins. During the stint of the game, Cousins picked up two technical fouls as the officials ejected him from the contest. Players in the future may try to get under his skin assuming he continues to display a lack of control. It is certainly not a good sign from the sophomore who is having a bit of a breakout season.

Top Performers

Oklahoma Sooners: Buddy Hield led the way with 22 points while four others scored in double figures. The most notable of the four is Tyler Neal who had a season high of 13 points off the bench while adding a team high 7 rebounds to the stat sheet.

Texas Longhorns: Jevan Felix, coming off the bench, out performed the competition scoring a career high 28 points. On the night UT's bench poured in a staggering 46 points.