Oklahoma just delivered a heartbreaker in Austin. Nijel Pack scored 23 points, Xzayvier Brown added 21 points, and Oklahoma beat Texas 88-85 in overtime in the final regular season game at a sold-out Moody Center on Saturday. The Sooners' late-game heroics sent shockwaves through the SEC and dashed the Longhorns' hopes for a tournament bye.
This wasn't just any regular season finale. OU squandered a 12-point lead with 6:58 remaining in regulation and a six-point advantage with 38 seconds to go, as Texas's Jordan Pope was fouled on a 3-pointer with 3.8 seconds left and converted all three free throw attempts to force the extra session. Then in overtime, the Sooners found itself down by one when Mohamed Wague tipped in a missed 3-point attempt by Nijel Pack for an 83-82 lead with 1:04 left. After a defensive stop, Xavier Brown found Derrion Reid in the corner for a key 3-pointer and four-point lead with 11 seconds on the clock.
The loss stings even more because of what's at stake. Texas lost four of their final five games to finish as the No. 10 seed in the SEC tournament. Texas will open play in a First Round contest against No. 15 seed Ole Miss on Wednesday, March 11 at 6 p.m. Central on SEC Network. Meanwhile, Oklahoma will head to the SEC tournament as the 11 seed to face No. 14 seed South Carolina in the first round on Wednesday. For context, check out how Michigan pulled off a similar upset in their own tournament run.
It's a bittersweet end to the regular season for both programs as they head into tournament play this week. The Sooners showed they can compete on the road with late-game heroics, while the Longhorns will have to regroup quickly if they want to make noise in Nashville.