Although it wasn’t easy, Texas basketball recovered following its loss at No. 10 Baylor.
The Longhorns defeated rival Oklahoma on Tuesday night, 80-78. The two sides needed an overtime session to determine the winner.
It was a tight affair throughout, as Texas’ largest second-half lead only reached seven points.
It couldn’t close out the Sooners down the stretch in regulation but did so in the extra period. Forward Timmy Allen tipped in a shot with around 20 seconds remaining to give the Longhorns a three-point edge.
The victory is massive for Texas, as it now sits among the top teams in the Big 12 Conference. Kansas is in first with a 10-2 record, with Baylor (9-4) and Texas Tech (9-4) just a game ahead of the 8-5 Longhorns.
Texas returns home with an even bigger tilt on the schedule. They face the No. 11 Red Raiders on Saturday afternoon, with postseason seeding on the line.
Longhorns sweep Sooners
The two-point win at Oklahoma gave Texas the season sweep of its main conference foe. It took the Sooners down by 14 in early January.
Allen got the key bucket at the end and finished with 20 points in this latest outing, but he wasn’t alone.
Texas received scoring help from multiple contributors, as senior guard Andrew Jones also hit the 20-point mark. Both Christian Bishop and Marcus Carr totaled 16 points apiece, and the four combined for all but eight of Texas’ points.
Jones led the way with seven rebounds, while the team recorded seven steals as a unit. Allen and Brock Cunningham each had two.
The Longhorns only connected on four three-pointers, but limited Oklahoma to just 5 of 23 shooting from beyond the arc.
Even though it wasn’t flashy, this was a necessary win for Texas. It looks like it should be a lock to earn a berth into this year’s NCAA Tournament, but it can’t afford weak losses.
In the most recent edition of Bracketology, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi puts Texas at a No. 5 seed. This could get much better, though, as the team has several important games still to play before the conference tournament.
Texas basketball odds vs. Texas Tech
Tech is proving itself as one of the better programs in college basketball this season. The Red Raiders beat Baylor 83-73 on Wednesday night and currently sit just outside the AP Top 10.
The Longhorns must play a better game than did they did in their first game against Tech on Feb. 1. They were outplayed in the opening half and ended up falling 77-64.
A major difference in that meeting was each team’s shooting efficiency, especially from deep. Texas shot just over 26%, compared to Tech, which was at more than 42% that day.
Carr led his side in scoring with 18 points, but no one shot the ball particularly well. Allen managed just five points. He’s been more aggressive since then, putting up over 20 points in two of Texas’ last three games.
Rebounding was another area where the Longhorns struggled. They managed just 28 boards for the game, nine fewer than the Red Raiders.
Look for head coach Chris Beard to have his guys ready to go from the jump.
The home-court advantage in Austin should also impact Saturday’s contest. Both teams feature impeccable home records, with Tech at 16-0 and Texas with a 15-1 mark at the Frank Erwin Center.
The Longhorns’ lone slip-up at home was a one-point loss to Kansas State last month.
Betting on Texas basketball
Despite the lack of Texas sports betting inside the state, bettors near Louisiana can hop the border for a few minutes to place some mobile wagers on their team.
The odds for this game aren’t released just yet but should become available by Friday night. Bettors should expect to see a very tight point spread when a line does come out.
Tech was favored laying -4 when it was at home, so look for Texas to potentially be giving a few in this one. The odds could also basically look even since Tech was able to handle its business against Texas the first time.
Texas is in solid shape even with another loss here, but a victory could prove this team can hang with the elite. ESPN’s Basketball Power Index shows the Longhorns with around a 62% chance of coming away with a win.
