Sooner resilience shines as a late three-pointer and clutch free throws secure a nail-biting overtime victory over Texas
AUSTIN, Texas - The Oklahoma Sooners delivered a heart-pounding, dramatic finish to their regular season, outlasting the Texas Longhorns 88-85 in overtime during a thrilling road victory at the sold-out Moody Center on Saturday night.
This win marked Oklahoma's fourth consecutive triumph and their sixth in the last eight games, providing a much-needed boost heading into the postseason.The Sooners controlled much of the contest, leading for 30 of the game's 45 total minutes.
They built comfortable advantages at key moments, including a 12-point lead with just under seven minutes left in regulation and a six-point edge with only 38 seconds remaining.
However, Texas mounted a furious comeback. In the closing seconds of regulation, Longhorns guard Jordan Pope was fouled on a three-point attempt with 3.8 seconds on the clock. Pope calmly sank all three free throws, knotting the score at 77-77 and forcing the extra period.
Oklahoma struck first in overtime, but Texas briefly regained the lead when Mohamed Wague tipped in a missed three-pointer from Nijel Pack, putting the Longhorns ahead 83-82 with 1:04 to play.
The Sooners responded with resilience. After forcing a defensive stop, Xavier Brown (also referred to as Xzayvier Brown in some reports) spotted Derrion Reid open in the corner for a clutch three-pointer, pushing OU back in front by four points with 11 seconds left. Texas missed on their ensuing possession, and Pack iced the game by draining two free throws to secure the final 88-85 margin.
The guard tandem of Pack and Brown was electric for Oklahoma, combining for 44 points on 15 made field goals. Pack led the way with 23 points, including 3-of-7 from beyond the arc, while Brown poured in 21 points on 2-of-4 three-point shooting. Brown also dished out a team-high four assists and came up with a game-high four steals, showcasing his all-around impact.
This marked the eighth 20-point performance in SEC play for each guard, underlining their emergence as reliable scoring threats in conference action.Supporting the backcourt duo, Tae Davis chipped in 14 points and a game-high nine rebounds, providing crucial interior presence. Derrion Reid added 11 points, going a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line, including key makes down the stretch.
Mohamed Wague contributed eight points, five rebounds, and two steals in a solid bench role. As a team, the Sooners shot 44% from the field compared to Texas' 41%, flipped the script from their earlier meeting in Norman (where Texas shot 60% in a 79-69 win on Jan. 31), and dominated the glass with a 40-35 rebounding edge. OU converted 10 offensive rebounds into 17 second-chance points and outscored the Longhorns 16-10 off turnovers, despite committing 10 giveaways themselves (Texas had 12).
For Texas (18-13, 9-9 SEC), Jordan Pope carried the offensive load with a game-high 30 points, though he shot 8-of-25 from the field and 7-of-18 from three. He was perfect at the line (7-for-7), including the pivotal three free throws that sent the game to overtime.The game's momentum swung dramatically.
With the score tied at 53 in the second half, Oklahoma erupted for a 16-4 run to surge ahead 69-57 with 6:58 remaining. Pack ignited the spurt with back-to-back threes and eight consecutive points, while Brown capped it with a left-wing triple. Texas answered fiercely, outscoring OU 20-8 the rest of regulation to force the extra session.
In the first half, the Sooners jumped out to a nine-point lead at 24-15 midway through before Texas responded with a 10-0 run, fueled by a pair of Matas Vokietaitis and-one plays, to seize control and take a 40-36 halftime advantage.This victory improved Oklahoma's all-time series record against Texas to 59-50 and marked their 22-26 mark in Austin.
The Sooners have now won nine times at Texas since 2000, including three of the last six seasons. Notably, since both programs joined the SEC in July 2024, the road team has prevailed in all four men's basketball meetings between the rivals, adding another chapter to this historic Red River showdown.
UP NEXT: With the regular season complete, the No. 11-seeded Sooners (17-14, 7-11 SEC) turn their attention to the SEC Tournament in Nashville, Tennessee. They will face No. 14-seeded South Carolina (13-18, 4-14 SEC) in a first-round matchup on Wednesday at approximately 8:30 p.m. CT inside Bridgestone Arena.
This win keeps Oklahoma's NCAA Tournament hopes flickering alive, rewarding their late-season surge with momentum at the perfect time.