NORMAN, Okla. — In a thrilling matchup on Wednesday night, Texas managed to hold off a determined Oklahoma team, winning 77-73, thanks in large part to a stellar performance from Jordan Pope who netted 27 points. Freshman Tre Johnson also played a crucial role for the Longhorns, contributing 16 points to their success. This victory marks Texas’s first win as a member of the Southeastern Conference, and they maintained the lead throughout the game without ever trailing.

Oklahoma, looking for their first SEC victory of the season, saw standout performances from Jalon Moore, who achieved a career-high with 29 points, and Jeremiah Fears, who added 20 points to the scoreboard. Despite a spirited effort from the Sooners, they found themselves in a tough position after Texas established a significant lead of 43-27 by halftime.

The Longhorns extended their lead to as much as 23 points in the second half, leading 53-30 at one point. However, Oklahoma rallied back, implementing a 26-7 scoring run over a crucial span of ten minutes, narrowing Texas’s advantage to just 60-56 with less than seven minutes left. Moore’s timely three-pointer then brought the Sooners even closer at 71-68 with just under four minutes remaining. Yet, Johnson executed two pivotal fadeaway jumpers that ultimately closed out the game in favor of Texas.

As Oklahoma made one last effort with Fears sinking a three-pointer and Moore adding a dunk off a Texas turnover, the Longhorns responded under pressure. Fears executed a long pass to Tramon Mark, who sealed the game with a dunk, finishing the scoring at 77-73 with only 13 seconds left.

Early in the game, Texas established a 14-7 lead thanks to the scoring contributions from Arthur Kaluma, who made three layups. Later in the first half, Pope’s three-pointer delivered the Longhorns their first double-digit advantage at 22-12.

Texas is set to challenge fifth-ranked Florida on Saturday, while Oklahoma is also gearing up to take on South Carolina in their upcoming match.