Texas Oklahoma Basketball Rivalry: Longhorns 'Embarrassed' at Home, Sooners Keep Foot on Gas
ByTempers notably did not flare between the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns, despite the latter routing its opponent for their third straight series win.
Oklahoma visited Austin, Texas to down their Big 12 rival Longhorns 70-49 behind four of their five starters' double-digit point totals. Oklahoma has now won three games against Texas in a row, but this one was noticeably different, as the Sooners were keen to not show up their opponent.
"We were just telling each other don't let them come back. Stay focused, stay humble," Sooners forward TaShawn Thomas said in a post game press conference, according to the Associated Press.
The Sooners are now 2-0 in the Big 12 and due for a nice jump in the AP poll if they can finish their week undefeated. They play Kansas State at home on Saturday. The win is also the Sooners' fourth in a row and seventh in their last eight games.
Texas has now lost two of their last four and three of their last eight dating back to their Dec. 5 loss to Kentucky, their first of the season. Texas only managed 14 points in the first half Monday night and could do nothing to hold Oklahoma down to attempt a late surge.
"That was embarrassing, they came in here and took us out of everything," Texas forward Jonathan Holmes said in his postgame conference. "Tonight was bout toughness and having some pride... They really punched us in the mouth."
An Oklahoma player once taunted the Longhorns two years ago, when he flashed an upside down "Hook 'em Horns" sign in a game. That was followed by a 22-point comeback from Texas to eventually win the game in overtime.
Oklahoma was not going to allow that to happen again.