Sooners Host No. 3 Texas With Big 12 Championship at Stake

NORMAN – On the cusp of history, No. 20 Oklahoma looks to knock off No. 3 Texas and win the program's second straight Big 12 regular season championship.

The Sooners (20-7, 14-2) hold a one-game lead over the Longhorns in the race for the conference title as OU upset then-No. 10 Texas (26-3, 13-3) in Austin, 91-87, on January 24. The two teams, who are in their last seasons in the Big 12, shared the conference crown a year ago.

Tip is set for 6 p.m. at Lloyd Noble Center and will air on ESPN+.

FAN INFO

Wednesday is the last chance to see Oklahoma at home this season. Fans can purchase general admission tickets for $10.

The program will celebrate senior night after the game by honoring Kennady Tucker and Jordan Moser.

Doors to the arena open one hour before tip, and the Lloyd Noble Center's clear-bag policy is in effect.

THE STARTING FIVE

The math is simple for the Sooners - win on Wednesday and repeat as Big 12 Conference regular season champions. A victory of the Longhorns would clinch the title outright for Oklahoma. If the Sooners were to fall on Wednesday, a win on Saturday afternoon at Kansas would give the Sooners a share of the championship pending a UT win over BYU.
The Sooners held strong at No. 20 in the AP Poll this week after another 2-0 week. The Sooners rose to No. 22 in the WBCA Coaches Poll. The Big 12 features five ranked teams, led by No. 3 Texas in the AP Top 25.
After struggling at times to get going offensively early in the year, the Sooners have caught fire in February. Over its last seven games, OU averages 82.1 PPG on 47% shooting and makes 9.7 3-pointers per game. The February Sooners pull down 42.7 rebounds per game, including 12.9 on the offensive glass. The attack has been powered by an average of 23.6 assists per game (1.5 A/TO ratio), and Baranczyk's team is shooting 37.6% from deep during in the month.
Skylar Vann and Payton Verhulst have starred for OU as the two have made strong cases for All-Big 12 honors. Vann, the league's only two-time Sixth Player of the Year, is having a career year and has posted 20 straight games of double-digit points. Verhulst is riding the best stretch of her career as the guard averages 14.9 PPG (40% 3P%), 7.6 RPG, 5.9 APG in February with three double-doubles.
OU has played the 17th toughest schedule in the country with the 13th toughest remaining schedule. Oklahoma boasts a league-leading 14-2 record in the Big 12 and has four wins over top 25 teams (No. 12 Ole Miss, No. 10 Texas, No. 2 Kansas State and No. 21 Baylor).

SERIES HISTORY

Wednesday's meeting is the 68th installment of the Red River Rivalry and the final regular season matchup between the two in the Big 12. OU and UT leave for the Southeastern Conference on July 1, 2024.

Texas maintains a 39-28 series lead, but Oklahoma has narrowly protected home court, holding a 16-13 lead at Lloyd Noble Center.

The Sooners knocked off then-No. 10 Texas in Austin, 91-87, the only difference between the two teams in the conference standings.

LAST TIME OUT

Freshman Sahara Williams scored 20 points and No. 23 Oklahoma ran away from rival Oklahoma State in the second half to post a 91-56 victory Saturday, the Sooners' 20th win of the season.

The victory gives Oklahoma its 14th Big 12 Conference win of the season, the first time since 2001-02 that the Sooners have won 14 conference games in back-to-back seasons. The Sooners are now one win away from clinching at least a share of the program's second consecutive Big 12 championship, as OU holds a one-game lead on No. 5 Texas and No. 10 Kansas State with two games to play.

UP NEXT

The Sooners travel to Lawrence, Kan., for their final Big 12 regular season game ever. Oklahoma tips vs. Kansas at 4 p.m. CT on ESPN+.