No. 9 Oklahoma Win Streak Ends With Loss To Texas Tech, 57-52

Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 15 points, including four free throws in the final 39 seconds, and No. 13 Texas Tech beat ninth-ranked Oklahoma 57-52 on Monday night, ending a five-game winning streak by the short-handed Sooners that included three in a row over Top-10 teams.

Texas Tech (13-5, 5-4 Big 12) had its largest lead at 50-40 when Kevin McCullar made a 3-pointer and then assisted on a 3-pointer by Shannon with 3:21 left. McCullar’s made 3 came after Mac McClung nearly had a turnover, but recovered past midcourt and then passed to McCullar in the right corner in front of the Red Raiders bench.

But Oklahoma (11-5, 6-4), which had missed 13 of its previous 15 shots, responded with seven points in a row, including Umoja Gibson stealing a ball from McCullar and then making a 3-pointer with 2:18 left. Gibson, who led the Sooners with 14 points, made another 3 with 1:01 left to get within 52-50 before Shannon converted at the line.

Oklahoma was without starting guards Austin Reaves and Alondes Williams because of COVID-19 protocols, after both also missed Saturday’s 66-61 win at then-No. 9 Alabama in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. Reaves was fifth in the Big 12 at 15.8 points a game, and third with 5.1 assists.

The Sooners moved up 15 spots, two weeks after not even getting a single vote, in the new AP Top 25 poll released earlier Monday. Their quick rise came after being only the third team in NCAA history to beat Top 10 teams in three consecutive games.

McCullar finished with 13 points for Texas Tech. McClung, who was averaging a Big 12-best 21 points in conference games, was held to six points — all on free throws, while going 0-for-7 shooting and 0-for-5 on 3s.

De’Vion Harmon had 12 points for Oklahoma, and Brady Manek scored 11.

BIG PICTURE

Oklahoma: The Sooners struggled shooting all night at 33.3% (18 of 54) in their lowest-scoring game of the season. They missed eight shots in a row over a span of more than eight minutes after halftime, when Texas Tech missed five in a row as well. Manek’s second 3-pointer of the half got them within 29-28 with 16:39 left. By time Harmon hit a jumper with 8:32 left, they were still only down 39-37.

Texas Tech: The Red Raiders also shot 33.3% (17 of 51), but had only three turnovers in the final 25 minutes of the game after seven in the first 15 minutes.

UP NEXT

Oklahoma is home Saturday against Iowa State, the Sooners’ first unranked opponent since Jan. 19.

Texas Tech plays at Kansas State on Saturday. The Red Raiders beat K-State 82-71 at home on Jan. 5.