The Oklahoma Sooners pulled off a thrilling 88-82 victory over the Texas Longhorns, keeping their March Madness dreams alive with a fourth consecutive win. Despite surrendering a six-point lead in the final 30 seconds of regulation, the Sooners showed resilience in overtime to seal the deal.
Oklahoma's defense faltered late, allowing Texas to tie the game at 77 after Jordan Pope nailed three crucial free throws. But once in overtime, the Sooners found their rhythm.
Derion Reid kicked things off with a layup, while Nijel Pack added a couple of free throws. However, Pope wasn't done yet, scoring five straight points for Texas, including a clutch three-pointer that put the Longhorns ahead by one with just over a minute remaining.
The Sooners, unfazed, regrouped after a timeout. Although Pack missed a quick three-pointer, Mohamed Wague was perfectly positioned to tip it in, regaining the lead for Oklahoma.
On Texas' next possession, Pope couldn't convert, giving Oklahoma another chance. Xzayvier Brown then drove the lane and dished it out to Reid in the corner, who calmly drained a three, extending the lead to four.
Pack's subsequent free throws cemented the six-point victory in this classic Red River Shootout.
Oklahoma's offense was firing on all cylinders, with four players scoring in double figures. Pack led the charge with 23 points, closely followed by Brown with 21.
Tae Davis contributed 14 points and nine rebounds, while Reid added 11, including his pivotal overtime performance. Wague, despite grappling with foul trouble, chipped in eight points.
This win secures the Sooners the 11-seed in the SEC tournament and boosts their NCAA tournament chances to 23%. Up next, they face the South Carolina Gamecocks on Wednesday night. A victory there would set up a showdown with Texas A&M on Thursday.