Texas Longhorns Flip the Switch, Dominate Second Half in Win Over Oklahoma

The Longhorns earned a rivalry win over the Sooners with an offensive surge in the second half.

Jan 24, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns guard Jordan Pope (0) makes a jump shot against Georgia Bulldogs guard Marcus Millender (4) during the first half at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

After coming up short against the Auburn Tigers earlier this week, the Texas Longhorns rebounded nicely by securing a rivalry win over the Oklahoma Sooners. Despite the Longhorns eventually winning by double digits, it was a strong offensive performance in the second half that eventually put Texas on top 79-69.

After the first half, the Longhorns trailed the Sooners 33-30. For a road matchup against your arch-rival, that's a manageable deficit after the first 20 minutes. After halftime, Texas would go on to outscore Oklahoma 49-36 the rest of the way.

A balanced offensive performance from head coach Sean Miller's squad proved to be the difference in the game's result on Saturday. While Xzayvier Brown and Nijel Pack remained the top scorers for the Sooners, the Longhorns had five players reach double-digit points.

Dominating in the Paint

Jan 14, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns center Matas Vokietaitis (8) is congratulated by guard Dailyn Swain (3) during the second half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

Texas did something that it really hasn't done this season. While the Longhorns have shown flashes of being a physical basketball team this season, they haven't quite been able to put it all together for more than a few possessions. In the second half, the Longhorns proved that they were capable of establishing themselves in the paint.

By the final buzzer, Texas had scored 42 points in the paint to Oklahoma's 28. Longhorns' center Matas Vokietaitis and guard Dailyn Swain were major factors in the paint, combining for 32 points and 16 rebounds in the win over Oklahoma.

While the Longhorns could have been performed better when it comes to the little things, mostly turnovers and fast break points, they showed that they could win a physical battle when needed. The next step for Miller and the Texas coaching staff is figuring out how they can get the team to replicate their performance in the paint against the rest of the SEC.

Massive Performances Off the Bench

Jan 24, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns guard Chendall Weaver (2) shoots a three point basket during the first half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

It wasn't just Texas' starting five that put together strong performances against Oklahoma. In fact, there's an argument that both Chendall Weaver and Simeon Wilcher were massive reasons why the Longhorns left Norman with a win.

Weaver put together a solid stat line against the Sooners with eight points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block. He also had a plus-minus of 16 as well, meaning that the guard was contributing on both ends of the court.

Wilcher shined as he reached double-digit points for the first time since Texas' loss to the Tennessee Volunteers in early January. After not recording a basket in the previous two games, the guard responded nicely by turning in a solid performance in a rivalry matchup. In 21 minutes, Wilcher totaled 10 points, two rebounds, two assists, one block, and a steal, with a plus-minus of nine.