The No. 21 Longhorns came together on Tuesday night for the perfect response to Saturday's loss against Oklahoma State, as Texas led for nearly the entire game on the way to a 66-52 win over the Oklahoma Sooners to remain a perfect 11-0 at home.
Texas (13-3, 3-1 in Big 12) had a season-low scoring output (51) against the Cowboys but responded well in a home win that saw the Chris Beard's defense shine.
Andrew Jones put together arguably his best performance of the season. The fifth-year senior had a season-high in points (22) and added four steals, which led all players.
The first half was controlled by the Longhorns from the opening tip. Courtney Ramey had four early points highlighted by a three from the right wing.
Oklahoma (12-4, 2-2 in Big 12) managed just six points through the first 11 minutes as part of a near six-minute scoring drought. Umoja Gibson hit a long two from the left corner to stop the bleeding.
OU's leading-scorer Tanner Groves (14.3 points) was held scoreless in the first half as the Sooners relied on a veteran group of guards to control the scoring output.
One of the highlights of the first half was the stellar defense by Texas that forced nine Sooner turnovers and 9 of 22 shooting from the field.
Ramey and Jones led the charge with some impressive steals in the backcourt that led to easy points going the other way.
Jones set the defensive tempo with a vicious chase-down block on Elijah Harkless that set the home crowd into a frenzy. Ramey followed this up a few minutes later with steals on back-to-back possessions as Texas led 23-12.
But it didn't end there.
Jones snatched a breakaway steal that led to a one-handed flush in transition. The play embodied the aggression Texas showed through the half.
Texas' second-leading scorer Tre Mitchell made his return to the court on Tuesday night but didn't see action till about four minutes remaining in the first half.
Through the first 20 minutes, Texas led 33-21.
The energy for Beard's squad didn't seem to change coming out of the locker room. The Horns cushioned the lead behind four-straight points from Allen and three at the shot-clock buzzer to give Texas a 42-25 lead.
Oklahoma's offense had a steadier pace through the second half, but Texas held strong.
Groves finally got his first points of the night with a two-handed flush in the paint. Considering how productive he's been this season, Groves' first bucket coming in the second half showed how productive Texas' defense was throughout the night.
With Oklahoma making an attempt at a second-half comeback, Texas saw its lead dwindle to 12. But Jones continued his stellar play with back-to-back buckets at around the four-minute mark to give the Horns a 62-46 lead.
From that point on, the Erwin Center was filled with rowdy chants of "OU sucks!" from the Texas faithful. Beard kept his usual rotation on the court going into the final minutes, as the Horns secured the win.
The Longhorns will get a three-day break before taking on No. 15 Iowa State in Ames, Iowa on Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. C.T.
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Longhorns? Click Here
Want to join in on the discussion? Click here to become a member of the Longhorns Country message board community today!
More must-reads: