Texas fights through shot clock, scoreboard problems to beat Oklahoma State 78-69
January 29, 2023
Junior forward Taylor Jones had a near-perfect night, scoring 19 points in Texas’ 78-69 win over Oklahoma State on Saturday.
Fresh off two ranked wins over No. 24 Baylor and No. 14 Oklahoma, Texas returned to the Moody Center to take on Oklahoma State. In the first meeting between the teams, Oklahoma State defeated Texas 86-82 in Stillwater.
Texas got off to a hot start in the first quarter, taking an 11-2 lead after scoring on its first five possessions, forcing an early Oklahoma State timeout.
Junior forward Khadija Faye was a key player on the defensive side of the early 9-point run, hauling in three rebounds, blocking one shot and stealing the ball.
After the strong start, Oklahoma State was able to tie the game at 13 with junior forward Lior Garzon leading the Cowgirls with two 3-pointers. Garzon was Oklahoma State’s leading scorer, finishing with 21 points.
“(In the first quarter), we just got too focused on running plays, and you can’t do that against Texas,” said Jacie Hoyt, head coach of Oklahoma State. “They’re going to deny you everywhere and take you out of your stuff.”
Right before halftime, the game encountered multiple stoppages due to the shot clock by the Texas bench malfunctioning, leading to the PA announcer counting down the shot clock for the possessions in the final minute of the half. At halftime, the shot clock was fixed, but as teams returned to the court, the shot clock by the Oklahoma State bench stopped working.
After an almost 45-minute delay to attempt to fix the shot clocks, temporary scoreboards were placed on top of each scorer’s table and temporary shot clocks were added to the corners of the court.
“I don’t think (the shot clock problems) really affected us,” Jones said. “This team has faced adversity and it’s nothing that we’re new to.”
Jones shot an almost perfect 9-10 from the field, leading the Longhorns in points. She made her first eight shots, including a buzzer-beater to beat the clock in the fourth quarter.
“I’m finally feeling comfortable coming back from my injury with my offensive game,” Jones said. “Our guards did a great job of getting me the ball and Coach (Schaefer) ran a lot of great plays to get the post open.”
Texas never trailed, but Oklahoma State’s 3-point shooting led by Garzon kept the Cowgirls within reach. Garzon made five of Oklahoma State’s 10 3-pointers.
“(Oklahoma State’s) got kids that can make shots like we couldn’t,” Texas head coach Vic Schaefer said about Oklahoma State’s 3-point shooting. “(Garzon)’s got that quick release and it’s hard to get to her.”
Sophomore guard Rori Harmon and Jones were two of five Longhorns to score in double figures, with 16 and 19. Shaylee Gonzales finished with 17 points and DeYona Gaston and Sonya Morris each had 10.
“This (win) proves to us that we aren’t the same team we were when we played them last time,” Jones said. “When you keep winning, you keep gaining confidence and you keep wanting to win.”
With the win, Texas moves to 16–6 on the season and 7–2 in Big 12 play. Texas will travel to West Virginia on Wednesday.
