Texas Longhorns Nearly Pull Off Miracle Comeback in OT Loss vs. Oklahoma

The Texas Longhorns suffered a brutal home loss to the Oklahoma Sooners in the regular-season finale.

Texas Longhorns guard Jordan Pope (0) celebrates a three point basket during the first half against the Oklahoma Sooners at Moody Center. | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

The Texas Longhorns will be feeling a bit nervous on Selection Sunday next weekend.

Texas rallied from down 12 in the second half and six in the final minutes to force overtime but the Oklahoma Sooners held off the Longhorns for an 88-85 win in Austin on Saturday

Jordan Pope scored a season-best 30 points for Texas but it wasn't enough for the Longhorns to get a potential NCAA Tournament-sealing win on Senior Night.

Texas Comes Up Short of Potential Sealing Spot in March Madness

Texas Longhorns guard Dailyn Swain (3) reacts to a basket during the first half against the Oklahoma Sooners at Moody Center. | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

With the loss, Texas falls to 9-9 in SEC play and 18-13 overall after entering Saturday seen by many analysts as needing just one win to seal a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

The Longhorns will now have to potentially win one or two games in the SEC Tournament or risk having to play in the First Four for a second straight season.

Along with Pope, Tramon Mark (17 points) and Matas Vokietaitis (14 points) also finished in double figures.

Dailyn Swain had 18 points, seven rebounds, eight assists and three steals for Texas.

For Oklahoma, Nijel Pack had 23 points while Xzayvier Brown posted 21 points and four assists in an impressive performance. The Longhorns had little answers on defense for the Sooners' two top guards.

Derrion Reid had 11 points and hit the game-sealing triple in overtime for Oklahoma.

The Sooners out-rebounded Texas 40-35 while forcing 12 turnovers.

Oklahoma built an early 20-11 lead but the Longhorns battled back to take a 25-24 lead at the 6:54 mark. Texas headed into halftime up 40-36.

Texas stumbled over itself in the second half, as multiple turnovers and big triples from Brown and Pack helped the Sooners start to pull away.

Trailing by 12 with 6:30 to go, the Longhorns looked like they were dead and out before some timely shot-making combined with critical mistakes from Oklahoma kept Texas alive.

Pope and Mark helped rally Texas back, as both hit triples before combining for six made free throws after Oklahoma fouled on two 3-point shots in the final minute.

The two rivals headed to overtime tied at 77 but it was the Sooners that found their second wind.

After a triple from Pope put Texas up 82-81 with 1:18 left in overtime, the Sooners responded with a 5-0 burst that featured a game-sealing 3-pointer from Reid.