Late-game execution did Oklahoma in against Texas Tech on Saturday.
The No 11-ranked Sooners, who built a seven point lead with just over eight minutes remaining, found themselves down to the visiting No. 20 Red Raiders late at the Lloyd Noble Center.
Despite grasping onto a one possession lead for most of the final two minutes, Texas Tech was able to knock down massive shots and get to the foul line, outlasting OU 85-84.
Despite the rebounding and turnover battle ending virtually even, the Red Raiders made shot after shot.
Texas Tech (16-3, 5-1 Big 12) connected on 72 percent of field goals in the second half, and converted 16-of-19 attempts from the free throw line.
Oklahoma (15-5, 3-3) shot 51.5 percent from the floor itself, but the Sooners were unable to overcome nine missed free throws on Saturday.
As has become the norm in Big 12 play, the Sooners had to dig themselves out of a big hole early.
Texas Tech built a 17-9 lead, but then OU locked in defensively.
Grant McCasland’s Red Raiders were held scoreless for 7:23, allowing Oklahoma to claw its way back into the game.
Jalon Moore hit a 3 to pull Oklahoma within three, and then Javian McCollum drained his second shot of the afternoon from beyond the arc, finishing through an aggressive closeout in front of Texas Tech’s bench to draw a foul.
He closed out the four-point play at the free throw line, putting OU back on top 18-17.
Oklahoma then got another stop, and John Hugley IV was left open for a 3 of his own to get the Lloyd Noble Center crowd fully back into the game.
From there, a strong stretch from Rivaldo Soares helped the Sooners carry a 34-33 advantage into the break.
Soares bounced back from a tough defensive outing on Tuesday against Texas immediately, chipping in nine points, seven rebounds and two assists in the first half alone.
But OU worked back into the Texas game, too, only to throw away the lead in the opening stages of the second half behind a blistering start from the Longhorns.
History didn’t repeat itself, as neither team was able to fully wrestle control early in the second half, instead trading blows each trip down the court.
Oklahoma’s seven-point scoring spurt just before the eight-minute mark, punctuated by Otega Oweh uncorking a monster transition dunk, put a little daylight between the Sooners and the Red Raiders, but it wasn’t a knockout punch.
Chance McMillian finished through contact, completing the three-point play with 3:54 left to cut OU’s lead to just a single point.
Minutes later, Pop Issacs knotted the game at 73-73 with a transition layup, reseting the table with 2:43 remaining.
Joe Toussaint gave the Red Raiders the lead in transition, but the lead was erased by a Soares 3 that instead put the Sooners up 76-75, and the teams didn’t stop trading buckets.
Issacs made a pair of clutch free throws with 49 seconds remaining, nosing the visitors in front 80-77 and Porter Moser called a timeout to set up an inbounds play.
Uzan found McCollum for a good look at a 3 that rattled out, but Oweh’s put-back attempt was denied by a goal tend.
Toussaint extended the lead back to 82-79 at the free throw line, leaving Oklahoma 27.8 seconds to produce magic.
The shot didn’t fall for OU out of the timeout, but Soares was fouled and pulled the Sooners back within one, setting up another fouling situation defensively.
This time Toussaint split his pair of free throws, opening the door for a potential late winner.
But again, Oklahoma couldn’t get the shot to fall.
Uzan missed a runner, and Texas Tech came up with the rebound after bodies hit the floor, meaning all the Sooners could do was foul with 2.1 seconds left.
Issacs iced the game, condemning the Sooners to an 0-2 week in Big 12 play despite the pair of home games.
Soares’ 3 at the buzzer was meaningless, as the strong traveling contingent of Red Raiders fans celebrated in Norman.
Now, Oklahoma will have to break its losing streak on the road.
The Sooners head to Manhattan to take on Kansas State on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
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