Oklahoma ended the month of January because the freshest team at school hoops with four wins over top-10 opponents and three over groups ranked No. 9. Then it began the month of February by earning the No. 9 ranking in the AP poll on the heels of that red-hot stretch, preferrred to fulfill the identical destiny because the three ninth-ranked groups that faced OU final month, falling 57-52 to No. 13 Texas Tech on Monday.
The Red Raiders led for 33: 21 of recreation time and withstood the Sooners’ fixed pushes during. Even supposing they by no methodology trailed in the second half, OU tied the recreation in the outlet minutes of the second half. And after trailing by a recreation-excessive 10 facets, it reeled off a 10-2 stride to diminish the margin to two facets with 1: 01 to play earlier than Texas Tech’s possess 5-0 stride to conclude the recreation.
It became once a exhausting-fought grind by every clubs but rarely the offensive shootout most anticipated from two top-25 groups with top-25 offenses. As a replacement, it became once every defenses that confirmed up and confirmed out. OU held Mountainous 12 scoring chief Mac McClung to preferrred six facets and without a self-discipline fair your total recreation, and Tech held OU to only 18-of-54 shooting from the self-discipline and 6-of-22 from 3-level range. It became once an grotesque, defensive grind, with the Red Raiders rising with big stops and forcing tricky shots after they wanted it most.
Whereas McClung’s offensive production became once minimal, Texas Tech’s totally different smartly-known particular person, Terrence Shannon, shook out his early funk. After being held scoreless in the first half — with Texas Tech up 25-18 at the damage — Shannon scored all 15 of his facets in a second-half barrage by attacking OU’s defense and attending to the rim.
Credit Texas Tech for once all all over again discovering a methodology to preserve in irregular style. Over the weekend it beat LSU by cobbling collectively a 12-0 stride over the final minute to preserve 76-71 in a excessive-scoring affair. By worthwhile a slugfest it confirmed this team isn’t reliant on one particular vogue to preserve.
Mountainous listing, this isn’t fully predominant, but it might perhaps presumably perhaps presumably smartly raze OU’s outside shot of worthwhile the Mountainous 12. The league has hunted for some time take care of it’s miles Baylor’s to lose, and OU’s loss, shedding it to 6-4 in league play and three games out of first role, preferrred solidifies that apparent truth. The closest team to the Bears now is Texas — who plays Baylor on Tuesday — and even the Longhorns are 2.5 games encourage.
