Men's Basketball: Back in Time #11

Aug. 20, 2007

NORMAN, Okla. - Each Monday through August, SoonerSports.com will take you back in time with the OU men's basketball program as we highlight some of the biggest games and biggest names from the 1970s, '80s, '90s and 2000s.

The 11th piece of the series centers on Oklahoma's 2001 Big 12 Tournament championship game contest against Texas inside Kansas City's Kemper Arena. The Sooners, who had beaten the Longhorns twice during the regular season by an average of 14 points, were the No. 3 seed and ranked 16th in the AP poll. Texas was the No. 4 seed and ranked 20th.

Despite its earlier success against the Longhorns, an Oklahoma victory would not come easy, especially considering OU dismissed starting point guard J.R. Raymond from the team just two weeks earlier.

The Sooners sputtered early and trailed by 18. Could senior Nolan Johnson help OU overcome a nightmarish start to claim its first Big 12 Tournament crown?

March 11, 2001
No. 16 Oklahoma vs. No. 20 Texas | Box Score

The plot was fairly familiar for fans of the two schools -- a pair of nationally ranked Big 12 South rivals located one state apart going toe-to-toe with lots on the line, including a trophy and major bragging rights.

Yes, it was Oklahoma-Texas. Only instead of being staged on the floor of the Cotton Bowl in Dallas on an early October Saturday, this storyline was carried out on the hardwood floor of Kansas City's Kemper Arena on championship Sunday in early March.

The OU men's basketball team, which had won 20 of its last 24 meetings against the Longhorns, was appearing in its third Big 12 Tournament championship game. The Sooners had lost to top-seeded Kansas (72-58) in the 1998 final and to No. 1 seed Iowa State (70-58) in the 2000 title contest. Texas was making its first Big 12 Tournament championship game showing.

2001 OU vs. Texas Big 12 Tournament Video Highlights

Ranked No. 16 in the AP poll and the tournament's No. 3 seed, OU was confident after edging No. 6 seed Missouri (67-65) on Friday and upsetting No. 2 seed and ninth-ranked Kansas (62-57) on Saturday. All that stood between the Sooners and their first Big 12 Tourney crown was 20th-ranked and fourth-seeded Texas, a team that OU beat in the regular season by seven in Norman and by 21 in Austin.

As promising as Oklahoma's prospects seemed before the game, they looked equally as poor at halftime. In fact, much worse. That's because the Sooners laid an egg in the opening 20 minutes, shooting just .214 from the field (6-for-28), .111 from 3-point range (1-for-9) and going just 1-for-3 from the free throw line, while falling behind by as many as 18 points. At intermission, Texas led 26-14.

OU head coach Kelvin Sampson was staring a third Big 12 Tournament championship game loss square in the face.

"The first half made me sick," said Sampson succinctly after the game.

After OU players endured a collective tongue-lashing from the coaching staff in the halftime locker room, however, the second stanza looked much different than the first.

Still down 12 (28-16) 90 seconds into the second half, Daryan Selvy and Hollis Price triggered a 7-0 run with a pair of baskets and a 3-pointer, respectively, to make the score 28-23.

Trailing by six (31-25) with 13 minutes remaining, the Sooners used an 8-1 run over the next minute and a half to take their first lead of the day at 33-32. The teams battled back and forth and with 3:30 to go the scoreboard failed to separate the two as they were knotted at 45.

For nearly two minutes, missed shots and turnovers plagued both squads as they tried to take the lead. The Sooners finally got untracked when Nolan Johnson converted a traditional 3-point play with 1:41 to go after receiving a pass from Kelley Newton. The basket and free throw breathed life into a tired defense - so much life that OU held the Longhorns scoreless the rest of the way.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma padded its margin over the final 40 seconds with two free throws by Jameel Heywood, two more by Johnson and an exclamation-point jam by Selvy.

Final score: Oklahoma 54, Texas 45.

Last Week's Feature: 1988 Final Four vs. Arizona

In the postgame press conferences, the barrel-chested Johnson, who was named the tournament's most outstanding player after recording 18 points, a career-high 13 rebounds, two assists and two steals in the championship tilt, was lauded by both head coaches.

"Every big game we've had," said Sampson, "he's been the best player on the floor."

Chimed Texas' Rick Barnes, "I'm dumbfounded that Nolan Johnson was not a first- or second-team player," referring to Johnson's third-team regular season All-Big 12 status. "He's the backbone of that team, the heart and soul of it. I can't understand it."

All Barnes needed to understand how his team squandered an 18-point lead was a second-half box score. OU held Texas to 3-for-18 (.167) field goal shooting and 0-for-4 3-point shooting after the break.

Meanwhile, the Sooners shot .480 from the field in the second half, went 15-for-16 (.938) at the charity stripe and produced a 23-13 rebounding advantage to secure their first conference tournament trophy since the 1990 Big Eight event.

Notes: Nolan Johnson was named the tournament's most outstanding player (he finished with 20 points in the quarterfinals against Missouri and 16 points in the semifinals against Kansas) ... Sophomore Hollis Price was also named to the all-tournament squad ... Price and Daryan Selvy each scored 12 points in the title game ... Chris Owens (13 points) was the only Texas player in double figures ... The Sooners played without starting point guard J.R. Raymond, who was dismissed from the team two weeks earlier ... The Big 12 Tournament crown was the first of three consecutive OU postseason league titles.

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