Sooners Fall in Final Game of Regular Season, 57-54

Freshman Tiffany Jackson hit a pair of free throws with 7.9 seconds to go, leading No. 3 Texas to its second straight Big 12 regular season title with a 57-54 victory over No. 17 Oklahoma on Wednesday night.

Jackson, Stacy Stephens and Nina Norman each scored 14 points for the Longhorns (26-3, 14-2), who won their fifth consecutive game against their border rival.

Making this win sweeter was the chance to clinch the league title on Oklahoma's home floor -- on Senior Night. Texas players merrily flashed "Hook'em Horns" signals to the booing crowd as they skipped off the court.

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Oklahoma (19-8, 9-7) dropped into sixth place in the Big 12, guaranteeing the Sooners won't get a first-round bye in next week's conference tournament.

Caton Hill led Oklahoma with 12 points.

The Sooners never backed down from the defending league champs, turning the game into a physical, contest-every-possession type of game.

Freshman Erin Higgins' long jumper from the corner gave the Sooners their first lead of the game, 34-33, with more than 17 minutes to go.

From there, the score was tied at 40, 43, 46, and 53 as neither team could put together enough of a run to get any breathing room.

The game was so hotly contested that Texas coach Jody Conradt, normally an even-tempered sort, drew a technical with 6:49 to play after jawing with an official during a timeout.

Hill made one of two free throws following the technical to give Oklahoma a 47-46 lead, but the Sooners committed a turnover on the next possession. Missed free throws ultimately doomed Oklahoma's opportunity to pull off the upset: the Sooners finished just 4-of-11 from the line.

Stephens made what essentially was the game-winning basket with 58 seconds left, scoring on a tough inside move as the shot clock expired to give the Longhorns a 55-53 lead.

On the next possession, Oklahoma's Maria Villarroel was called for an offensive foul under the goal and Texas responded by milking the clock before Jamie Carey missed on a wild layup with 10 seconds to play.

Texas' Heather Schreiber came up with the rebound and quickly got it to Jackson, who made the game-sealing free throws.

Stephens also had 14 rebounds.