by Danny Davis
NORMAN, Okla. − Only one team will take a Big 12 championship with them to the Southeastern Conference, and that will be Oklahoma and not Texas.
Lexy Keys knocked down a 3-pointer with less than five seconds to go, and No. 20 Oklahoma recorded a 71-70 win over No. 3 Texas at the Lloyd Noble Center. With the win, Oklahoma secured a series sweep of Texas and its first outright championship in the Big 12 since 2009.
Texas and Oklahoma split the Big 12’s championship last season.
As Oklahoma shot a miserable 2-for-18 from the field in the opening quarter, Texas quickly gained control of the scoreboard and led by as many as 15 points in the first half. But in this battle of Big 12 heavyweights, Texas was unable to land a knockout punch ahead of halftime. The Sooners got off the canvas, threw a few haymakers of their own and rallied within 39-38 when Payton Verhulst beat the second quarter’s buzzer with a jumper.
Texas stretched its lead to six points by the end of the third quarter, but the Longhorns were unable to shake the Sooners. As Texas battled foul trouble in the final frame, Oklahoma rallied again and grabbed a 67-66 lead with 3:20 left. That set up a frantic finish that featured a short-lived Texas lead and a big play by Keys.
