The Sooners fell to Texas 94-80 on Saturday night, extending their losing streak to seven consecutive games to their rivals. The loss exposes some of Oklahoma’s continuing struggles throughout the season, and maybe casts a little doubt on the type of postseason success the Sooners may have. Here are a few quick thoughts as we look towards the Big 12 Tournament.
Offense Stalls
While Oklahoma’s offense showed flashes at times, consistency remained an issue. Rivaldo Soares led the Sooners with a season-high 21 points, but his strong performance wasn’t enough to overcome scoring droughts. Jalon Moore (16 points) and Milos Uzan (12 points) chipped in, but overall, Oklahoma’s offense couldn’t keep pace with a hot Texas team.
Oklahoma scored 80 points against the Longhorns, but their offensive performance wasn’t pretty at all. They shot nearly 47% from the floor, but poor shot selections, turnovers, and lack of ball movement all played a role in OU having another second half scoring drought. Texas went on a 21-9 run during the first seven minutes of the second half to put the game into blowout territory. This has been a recurring theme for the Sooners, who have struggled to score consistently this season. It will be interesting to see if they can identify and address their offensive woes before arriving to Kansas City.
Defense Exposed
This is a big one, and we’ve seen it coming for a while now. Texas was able to put up 94 points on Oklahoma, highlighting the Sooners’ defensive deficiencies. Opponents have been able to exploit weaknesses in Oklahoma’s defense, especially open lanes to the basket, leading to points in bunches. The Longhorns shot 63.5% from the floor and earned 23 attempts from the free throw line.
Junior guard Tyrese Hunter stole the show for Texas, erupting for a career-high 30 points on a sizzling 9-for-13 shooting performance. He was a force to be reckoned with throughout the game, effectively leading the Longhorns’ offense.
While Hunter was the offensive leader, Texas received valuable contributions from other players. Sophomore forward Dillon Mitchell provided a spark off the bench with 14 points, and Dylan Disu chipped in with a solid 16 points. Oklahoma literally had no answer for this type of balanced scoring attack.
Bright Spots
Despite the loss, there might be a few bright spots for Oklahoma. Shooting 46.7% from the floor should put you in position to win on most nights. Rivaldo Soares tied a career-high 21 points for Oklahoma before leaving the game with 3:13 with an injury, and Oklahoma outrebounded Texas 28-25. All of that just makes a 14-point loss all the more frustrating because there were so many moments of potential that couldn’t be capitalized on.
Overall, the loss to Texas exposes Oklahoma’s struggles on both ends of the court. The Sooners will need to find solutions to their offensive woes and shore up their defense if they want to make any type of postseason run. The program reached 20 wins during the regular season for the first time under head coach Porter Moser and have the best opportunity of reaching the NCAA Tournament. Quickly adjusting to the issues we saw on Saturday will ultimately determine where, and how far, they go into the postseason.
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