Texas Longhorns Suffer Heartbreaking Overtime Loss to Oklahoma Sooners

Despite strong individual performances, Texas couldn't overcome a large deficit in the final minutes of regulation.

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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The Texas Longhorns men's basketball team faced off against their Red River rival, the Oklahoma Sooners, in their final regular season game. The Longhorns ultimately fell to the Sooners 88-85 in a thrilling overtime battle. While Texas had some standout individual efforts, including a 30-point game from Jordan Pope, the team struggled to overcome a large deficit late in regulation before falling short in overtime.

Why it matters

This loss is a tough end to the Longhorns' regular season, as they now turn their attention to the SEC tournament and March Madness. The team's habit of allowing opponents to build big leads, only to mount comebacks, is a concern heading into the postseason. Texas will need to shore up its shot selection and defensive intensity if it hopes to make a deep run in the upcoming tournaments.

The details

Texas had four players score in double figures, led by Jordan Pope's 30 points. Dailyn Swain added 18 points, while Tramon Mark and Matas Vokietaitis chipped in 17 and 14 points respectively. However, the Longhorns found themselves down by as many as 12 points in the second half before mounting a late comeback to force overtime. In the extra period, Texas struggled with its shot selection, making just 3 of 8 field goal attempts.

  • The Longhorns trailed Oklahoma by 12 points with less than 7 minutes remaining in regulation.
  • Texas tied the game in the final seconds of regulation, sending the game to overtime.

The players

Jordan Pope

A Texas Longhorns guard who scored a team-high 30 points, including 7 three-pointers.

Dailyn Swain

A Texas Longhorns forward who scored 18 points on 5-of-8 shooting and 7-of-9 from the free throw line.

Tramon Mark

A Texas Longhorns guard who scored 10 of his 17 points in the final 6 minutes of regulation and hit a key three-pointer in overtime.

Matas Vokietaitis

A Texas Longhorns forward who had 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 fouls.

Jeff Nwankwo

An Oklahoma Sooners player who battled for a loose ball against Texas' Jordan Pope.

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What they’re saying

“We must learn from this game and be better prepared for the postseason. Our shot selection and defensive intensity need to improve if we want to make a deep run.”

— Chris Beard, Texas Longhorns Head Coach

What’s next

The Longhorns will now turn their attention to the SEC tournament, where they will face Ole Miss in the first round on Wednesday. A strong performance in the conference tournament could help build momentum heading into the NCAA March Madness tournament, which begins on March 15.

The takeaway

This heartbreaking overtime loss to Oklahoma highlights the areas Texas needs to improve upon heading into the postseason. The Longhorns' tendency to allow large deficits and their occasional lapses in shot selection will need to be addressed if they hope to make a deep run in the upcoming tournaments.