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Freshman Greg Brown scored 24 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to help No. 11 Texas beat Oklahoma State 77-74 on Sunday in its Big 12 opener.
Brown made four free throws during the final 37 seconds as Texas (7-1) survived a late Oklahoma State rally that included two 3-point baskets by Bryce Williams in the final 11 seconds. Brown made a pair of 3-pointers during a 17-0 Texas run in the second half. He also had three blocks in the game.
Brown, one of the top 10 ranked recruits in the country, scored 18 and 17 in his previous two games after not having more than 11 in his first five. Andrew Jones matched his career best with 22 points, and Matt Coleman scored 15 for Texas.
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Oklahoma State (6-2, 0-2 Big 12) freshman Cade Cunningham scored 25 points, including 13 of 14 for the Cowboys as they tried to erase what was once a 13-point deficit.
Williams added 13 for Oklahoma State.
Texas trailed 34-29 after a dismal first half of half-court offense against Oklahoma State’s zone. The Longhorns shot 32.4% and missed 13 of 16 3-point attempts. They committed nine turnovers.
Their defense wasn’t particularly effective, either. Oklahoma State hit 48.3% in the half and outscored Texas 26-14 in the paint.
Texas, 4 for 18 on 3-pointers five minutes into the second half, suddenly heated up, making three in a row, one by Coleman and the two by Brown. Then Brown added a pair of free throws, Donovan Williams scored in the lane, Jones hit a 3-pointer, and Texas had the 17-0 streak and a 13-point lead with less than 11 minutes remaining.
BIG PICTURE
Oklahoma State: The Cowboys won their first six games, including one at Marquette. Then they slipped in the Big 12 opener, losing 77-76 to TCU in Stillwater on Wednesday despite leading by eight with 2:21 remaining. After a pretty strong first 25 minutes, they were temporarily steamrolled by Texas before making a comeback.
Texas: The Longhorns often struggled to generate effective half-court offense during Shaka Smart’s first five seasons as coach. This season, his sixth, has been better, significantly at times, the offense improved with veteran guards in charge. After that rough first half against Oklahoma State, the Longhorns were much better in the second, shooting 45 percent.
UP NEXT
Oklahoma State: The Cowboys are at No. 14 Texas Tech on Jan. 2, their second straight game against a ranked team. Texas: The Longhorns host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Dec. 29.
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