Many thought the Sooners were outmatched Saturday in OU’s game against the Texas Longhorns. Many thought their perfect home game record this season would be broken. Many thought the Sooners were done for without a powerful inside game against the best offensive rebounding team in the country.

Many thought wrong.

OU upset the ninth-ranked Longhorns 80-71 at Lloyd Noble Center Saturday after a dominating first half performance that left the Sooners ahead 48-30.

While the Longhorns did make it close at certain times in both halves, the Sooners would never trail on their way to victory. OU led by as much as 19 at one point in the second half, but Texas would not go down easy as they chipped the massive deficit down to five points at one point.

“I’m really proud of our guys,” said head coach Jeff Capel. “I thought we executed and did a great job defensively early in the game. Our crowd was absolutely phenomenal.”

The Sooners utilized two first half runs of 9-0 and 12-0 to take a commanding 48-30 halftime lead.

Freshman guard Tommy Mason-Griffin and junior guard Cade Davis both had 16 points in the first half. Their performance was well needed as sophomore guard Willie Warren was playing injured and did not start the game.

Cade (Davis) and Tommy (Mason-Griffin) were tremendous, especially in the first half,” Capel said. “

Mason-Griffin extended his hot streak in another career game, except this time it was against a nationally ranked rival in a game where the team’s leader was injured.

The Houston-native filled up the stat sheet with a game-high 24 points, five boards and four assists in 39 minutes.

Late in the second half, the talented freshman was denied a request to take a breather due to his significance in the game. His one minute of bench time combines for a total of six minutes over the past four games.

“He’s good, that’s just what is comes down to,” Capel said. “With the way he shoots the ball and the way he can attack and how strong he is, he should be a guy that gets fouled a lot.”

The young-star’s big day was over a Texas defense known for their talented guards and defense. Despite their best efforts, the Longhorns could not find a man to slow down the rising fan favorite.

“He is a really good player,” said Texas guard Avery Bradley, who shared the responsibility of guarding Mason-Griffin. “He is so quick and fast. My coach wanted me to guard him and just play hard defense on him.”

Mason-Griffin improved his three-point shooting percentage to 46.3, making him the most proficient marksman in the Big 12. In conference play, Mason-Griffin is shooting a deadly 51.9 percent from deep.

“When I recruited (Mason-Griffin), this is kind of how I saw him – a guy that could be very difficult to guard,” Capel said.

Senior forward Ryan Wright had a career night against the plethora of Texas big men. Wright played 30 minutes, just four short of his season high against Utah, and produced 11 points and 14 rebounds; his first career double-double.

“Just the chance to be out there, be a big contributor to wins like this; this is something I’ve been waiting my whole career for, and (to) finally be able to do it my senior year, it’s just a dream come true,” Wright said.

The UCLA-transfer fouled out with 1:36 left in the contest after making the starting lineup. His stellar performance was much needed, according to his teammate Davis.

“He was incredible, just coming in and getting us huge points, boosting the offensive game, and on defense ... coming in early and getting on (Dexter) Pittman and those guys,” Davis said.

Coach Capel has held Wright in high regards all season and said his game against the ‘Horns might have been the best game he’s ever played at OU.

“He’s always played hard for us,” Capel said. “No one deserves it more than him because we don’t have a kid in our program that works harder than Ryan Wright.”

The big victory came on a special afternoon for all Sooner fans as the OU community celebrated the life of former-OU great Wayman Tisdale at Lloyd Noble Center. This year’s Red River Rivalry in Norman was dedicated to the talented left-handed forward who was also a renowned jazz musician and all-around great guy according to many, including Capel.

“(He’s) one of the greatest human beings I have ever had the privilege of meeting in my life,” Capel said. “What a great day to celebrate the greatest Sooner basketball (player) in the history of the program. I thought our guys played with the heart Wayman displayed so much – not just in basketball, but in his life.”

While they have had their struggles, the Sooners played like a totally different team Saturday against one of the better Texas teams that have come out of the 2000's. The team still has a long way to go to make up for their road woes, but, according to Wright, the win was a monumental statement to what his team can accomplish.

“It’s just a chance for all the fans and a national TV audience to hear about what Wayman Tisdale did for this program,” Wright said. “We really wanted to show that on the court, and to get a big win today, I think, is the best way to do it.”