Clark scores 13 and grabs seven boards in the Sooners loss (Photo from Soonersports.com)
If the Oklahoma Sooners hopes for a postseason bid take a major hit in the blowout in Lubbock Saturday, they were finished off in Norman on Tuesday. In a game that was absolutely critical to their postseason resume, the Sooners came up short for the fifth straight time, falling to Texas 69-58 on their home floor. This pushes their record back to now just 13-12 (3-10).
The Sooners tantalized the home crowd with exceptional play in the first half, and came out firing on all cylinders. They were able to gain a quick 8-2 advantage over the Longhorns, with sharp shooting and tenacious defense, the team looked rejuvenated and refreshed, an entirely different squad from the one in Lubbock Saturday. They would continue this play throughout the half, and take the 33-28 lead into the locker room.
The second half however was an entirely different story.
The Sooners came out flat, lethargic and sloppy, giving up a 7-0 run toTexasbefore finally sinking a bucket of their own three minutes in. Oklahomawould score just nine points in the first ten minutes of the half on their way to being outscored 41-25 in the half.
Cameron Clark showed out tonight against his home state, scoring 13 points on 6-9 shooting and leading the Sooners with seven boards. He is the Sooner Player of the Game.
Overall it boils down to a poor second half effort by the Sooners. Texasdid not have a particularly good game. They shot only 39% from the field compared to 41% from the Sooners. The Sooners simply shot themselves in the foot in the second half with sloppy turnovers and poor shot selection in crucial moments of the game.
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