The Texas Longhorns Prevail 76-63 As The Oklahoma Sooners Fall Victim To Cold Spell

The Oklahoma Sooners headed to Austin hoping to move one step closer to securing a No. 1 Seed in the NCAA Tournament. On the other end of the equation, the Texas Longhorns looked to start win streak inside the Frank Erwin Center and move one step closer to a 20-win season. A close fought battle, Shaka Smart defense wore down the Sooners as the Longhorns began to pull away in the final six minutes of play. Unable to keep pace, Oklahoma lost by a final of 76-63.

In the first half, the Sooner leaned hard on Buddy Hield who provided an answer. Scoring 23 points in the first half, OU held a three point lead going into the locker room. Coming out firing, Jordan Woodard knocked down a three point attempt followed by a couple of free throws. Less than a minute later, the guard nailed another shot from beyond the arc pushing Oklahoma to a 47-40 lead.

Maintaining the lead, Hield would score on jumper at the 7:33 mark before the cold spell set in. Unable to find the bottom of the net, Texas utilized offensive rebounds from guards Javan Felix and Isaiah Taylor to roar back into the game from behind. The effort produced a 22-0 run and a 73-58 lead with under a minute to play.

Forced into desperation mode, Lon Kruger's team opted for isolation basketball and deep shots leaving the post players out of the game. The idea is backed by the mere seven assists the crimson and cream turned in through forty minutes of play. Khadeem Lattin finished without a single point on one shot attempt while Ryan Spangler finished with two points. Not only did Oklahoma experience a cold spell, the concerns with depth continue to ramp up heading into the post season.

Once again, OU's bench was out scored this time by a 26-4 margin. Yet, the Sooners have never faired well when being outrebounded in any contest. This outing was no exception as Texas pulled down 43 rebounds gaining a +12 margin on the afternoon.

Next up, Oklahoma will face Baylor in Norman.