In a recent game, Texas guard Tramon Mark snagged an offensive rebound and scored, pushing the Longhorns to a 53-30 lead with 16:15 left in the second half. After leading 43-27 at halftime, the Longhorns extended their advantage to 23 points thanks to a strong start in the second half. Many Sooners fans, disappointed by the team’s performance, began to leave early, hoping to get home before late night.
The Sooners struggled right from the beginning. Their energy and execution were lacking, which led to a difficult first half. They managed to shoot just 11 for 29 from the field, including a shaky one for eight from three-point range. Freshman Jeremiah Fears led the scoring with only eight points, while senior Kobe Elvis added five. Overall, the Sooners finished with their lowest first-half point total of the season.
Ball security was another issue. The Sooners committed eight turnovers in the first half and 11 in the first 25 minutes. It seemed like they were haunted by the previous week’s collapse against Texas A&M, struggling to find a rhythm.
Head coach Porter Moser took responsibility for the team’s performance. “Those first 25 minutes were absolutely unacceptable,” he said. “We didn’t play up to our standard, and that starts with me.”
However, the Sooners showed resilience. After Texas scored to lead 53-30, they launched an impressive 23-3 run, closing the gap to just three points, 56-53. This resurgence was led by senior Jalon Moore, who scored 16 of his career-high 29 points during this stretch, igniting the crowd and breathing life into the game.
“We just brought a ‘never say die’ mentality,” Moore said after the game. “We wanted to give ourselves a chance to win.”
With momentum on their side, the Sooners pulled within three points again, but turnovers reared their ugly head in the final minutes, stalling their comeback efforts. The final score was Texas 77, Oklahoma 73, leaving the Sooners still searching for their first conference victory this season.
The Sooners ended the game with 18 turnovers, mirroring their earlier struggles. Despite Fears showcasing his skills with 20 points, he also accounted for six turnovers, a common challenge for young players in high-pressure roles.
Moore’s second-half performance stood out. He scored 26 points on perfect shooting, but without a win, his individual success felt hollow. “Ultimately, my performance doesn’t matter because we didn’t come away with the win,” he said.
The Sooners are at a crucial point in their season. The fight they displayed in the final minutes against Texas shows they have potential, but consistently performing at that level will be key for turning things around. They need to shake off this rough start as they face South Carolina next in a must-win game to avoid falling further behind in the SEC standings.
The upcoming challenge against the Gamecocks is an opportunity for the Sooners to reset and regain their footing. Time will tell if they can harness the energy from their late-game rally and turn their season around.
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