Texas Longhorns Fall to Oklahoma Sooners in Overtime, Earn 10th Seed in SEC Tournament

The Longhorns stormed back from a 12-point deficit but couldn't hold off the Sooners in the extra period.

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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The Texas Longhorns suffered an 88-85 overtime loss to their rival Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday at Moody Center in Austin. The defeat sends the Longhorns to the 10th seed in the upcoming Southeastern Conference tournament, where they will face 15th-seeded Ole Miss in the opening round on Wednesday. To earn the SEC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, Texas will need to win five consecutive games.

Why it matters

This loss is a disappointing end to the Longhorns' regular season, as they had a chance to improve their seeding and tournament positioning. Now they face an uphill battle to make the NCAA Tournament, needing to win the SEC tournament to secure an automatic bid. The rivalry game against Oklahoma also highlights the competitive nature of the SEC, where every game matters in the quest for postseason positioning.

The details

The Sooners (17-14, 7-11 SEC) went on a 7-0 run in overtime to claim the victory, sending the Longhorns (18-13, 9-9 SEC) to the No. 10 seed. Texas stormed back from a 12-point deficit in the second half to force overtime, but Oklahoma held them off in the extra period. Jordan Pope led the Longhorns with 30 points, including seven 3-pointers, while Nijel Pack paced the Sooners with 23 points.

  • The game was played on Saturday, March 7, 2026 at Moody Center in Austin, Texas.
  • The Longhorns will face 15th-seeded Ole Miss in the opening round of the SEC tournament on Wednesday, March 12, 2026 at 6 p.m. CT in Nashville, Tennessee.

The players

Jordan Pope

A guard for the Texas Longhorns who scored 30 points, including seven 3-pointers, in the loss to Oklahoma.

Nijel Pack

A guard for the Oklahoma Sooners who led his team with 23 points in the overtime victory.

Sean Miller

The head coach of the Texas Longhorns.

Porter Moser

The head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners.

Arch Manning

A member of the Texas Longhorns football team who was in attendance cheering on the basketball team.

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What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This loss is a setback for the Texas Longhorns, who now face an uphill battle to make the NCAA Tournament. The competitive nature of the SEC means every game is crucial, and the Longhorns will need to regroup quickly if they hope to make a deep run in the conference tournament.