OU men’s basketball lost to Texas 79-69 on Saturday at Lloyd Noble Center, extending its losing streak to eight games.
The Sooners (11-11, 1-8 SEC) failed to break out of their midseason slump, dropping their eighth straight game. Their last win came Jan. 3 against Mississippi, marking their longest skid since the 2010-11 season, when they also lost eight in a row.
Head coach Porter Moser didn’t shy away from taking the blame for the loss.
“I’ll take that on me,” Moser said. “I gotta demand being better than that.”
OU once again collapsed late, allowing Texas to outscore them 19-8 over the final seven minutes. The Sooners led by as many as 14 points in the first half and held a three-point advantage at halftime but faded down the stretch, a trend also seen in losses to No. 23 Alabama, Missouri and No. 15 Arkansas.
It wasn’t just the performance that Moser reflected on afterward. He praised the crowd’s energy but admitted the team didn’t reward the fans’ support.
“I thought they were great,” Moser said. “We didn’t give them enough to cheer about the last eight or nine minutes … I thought the crowd was great. It was us, not them, getting them something to cheer about the last five minutes.”
While Moser highlighted the fans’ energy, frustration was evident when “Fire Moser” chants erupted from the student section late in the game.
Moser, under fire from fans throughout the losing streak, said he’s working with new athletic director Roger Denny to help the team regroup.
“You know, good guy. We’ve been in the trenches … but he’s competitive as hell too,” Moser said. “He knows he wants to fix it. I want to fix it, and you’re not fixing it in February. We’ve got to do everything we can to prepare (for) each game. Right now, this is our team, and this is the league … I want to be in a different spot in the standings. (Denny is) competitive as hell. I love that.”
So far, inconsistency has defined OU’s conference season. While some starters carry their weight, others have struggled to find rhythm. A lack of cohesion among the starting five, coupled with late-game breakdowns, continues to define the Sooners’ struggles.
Senior guard Nijel Pack led the Sooners with 23 points, continuing a scoring surge that has seen him average to just over 23 points per game over his last three contests, a major jump from his 12.7-point average earlier in conference play.
Sophomore forward Derrion Reid and junior guard Xzayvier Brown added 15 points each, helping Pack keep OU competitive until late in the second half.
Senior forward Tae Davis and senior forward/center Mohamed Wague, however, struggled offensively, combining for just two points, coming from free throws by Davis, five rebounds and one assist.
OU will look to bounce back against Kentucky (14-7, 5-3 SEC) and former Sooner guard Otega Oweh at 8 p.m. Wednesday at Rupp Arena on ESPN2.
This story was edited by Laurie Jones.
