The No. 12 Longhorns look to extend their winning streak to 11 on Tuesday as they host No. 20 Oklahoma.
Texas is coming off a 73-63 road victory over then-No. 18 West Virginia on Saturday. The triumph in Morgantown marked the Longhorns’ 10th consecutive victory and their first 6-0 conference start in program history.
“It was a terrific road win,” Texas head coach Karen Aston said after the victory. “I have to give this game to our bench. They made the real difference in the game.”
The Longhorns have not lost a game since Dec. 4, and their only four losses came against teams currently in the AP Top 10, including No. 1 Connecticut. As big as the bench was against West Virginia, which included a 10-point performance by sophomore guard Lashann Higgs, the Texas starters have carried the Longhorns to their success.
The Longhorns have outrebounded their opponents in 14 of 16 games this season, mostly behind the effort of senior center Kelsey Lang and freshman forward Joyner Holmes. In her final season, Lang is playing the best basketball of her career, averaging 9.6 points and 9.1 rebounds per game for the surging Longhorns.
Holmes is stringing together an impressive season and has solidified herself as a key piece in Texas’ starting lineup. Holmes, who has started 14 games for the burnt orange this season, is one of three Texas players averaging double-digit points, alongside junior guards Brooke McCarty and Ariel Atkins. McCarty leads the team in scoring and three-point shooting, averaging 13.6 points and 34 three-point makes on the season.
“It definitely feels good, but I think it’s a reflection of how we come into work every day,” McCarty said after a recent 66-35 victory over Oklahoma State. “I just feel like it’s a confidence booster definitely for us.”
The rivalry game against the Sooners will mark Texas’ second-straight game against a top-20 opponent.
Oklahoma hits the road for Austin after a commanding 21-point victory against Texas Tech on Saturday. Oklahoma currently sits in third place in the conference behind No. 2 Baylor and Texas, who are tied for first place in the Big 12 with perfect 6–0 records.
The Sooners are riding a two-game winning streak and have won six of their last seven. Oklahoma’s sole Big 12 loss came at the hands of West Virginia.
The Sooners are averaging just over 75 points per game and have two players on the roster who average double-digit points. Senior guard Peyton Little leads the crimson and white in scoring, averaging 18.3 points per game. Little also leads Oklahoma in steals with 35 on the season.
But center Vionise Pierre-Louis has given the Sooners the edge under the basket recently. The 6-foot-4-inch junior is averaging a near double-double and leads the team in rebounding.
Texas and Oklahoma hit the hardwood Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Frank Erwin Center.
