'Big Win!' Texas Earns Massive Victory Over No. 11 Oklahoma in Norman
The Texas Longhorns sealed the victory against the No. 11 Oklahoma Sooners with a decisive 19-4 run in the second half at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman on Tuesday evening - a win that was massive for the Longhorns' post-season resumé.
"Any win in this conference is a big win," head coach Rodney Terry said after the game.
Senior guard Max Abmas and senior forward Dylan Disu played pivotal roles, with Abmas contributing a game-high 22 points, including 4-of-8 from beyond the arc, and Disu registering 19 points and 10 rebounds.
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Texas showcased a 54.5 percent shooting accuracy in the second half, connecting on 5-of-8 three-point attempts. Notably, the team successfully minimized turnovers, a key improvement after conceding 14 points off turnovers to Oklahoma in a closely contested first half.
"We didn't play perfect but we played extremely hard," Terry said. "We were really connected tonight."
Texas found themselves trailing 33-32 at halftime, but the second half began on a high note for Texas, initiating a 9-0 run that culminated in a fast-break three-pointer by Horton, giving them a 47-42 lead.
However, the momentum was disrupted by a hard foul on Longhorns senior forward Kadin Shedrick, resulting in him being down on the court in pain and the Sooners receiving a flagrant foul.
Disu contributed four consecutive points, and Abmas added a three to counter Oklahoma's 5-of-7 shooting stretch. A
As the game reached the under-12 timeout, Texas held a 55-52 lead. Despite pending free throws after the break narrowing the margin to a single point due to a foul on Cunningham during a three-point attempt.
In the post-game press conference, Abmas emphasized the importance of limiting the Sooners to one shot, with several standouts on OU's offensive glass.
The Longhorns ultimately used a 16-4 run, including six straight points by Disu, to take a 15-point lead at the under-four timeout thanks to 7-of-8 shooting during the decisive surge before cruising to the finish.
The next challenge for the Longhorns will be a trip to Provo to face No. 21 BYU at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
