Five Thoughts On Texas’ 62-50 Win Over Oklahoma State

BOX SCORE

With 7:48 left in the second half, Leyton Hammonds made a bucket against Texas on Friday night to put Oklahoma State up 48-46. The Horns were reeling a bit and Hammonds was absolutely feeling it.

Texas would go on to score 16 of the final 18 total points of the game and walk away with a 62-50 win in what will likely be Travis Ford’s last game ever in Gallagher-Iba Arena. It doubled as OSU’s eighth home loss and 15th conference loss on the season. OSU hasn’t lost eight games inside GIA since Ford was two years old (1972).

The (likely) last Ford era GIA dagger was delivered in the most painful way. A failed crossover by Texas rolled off an ankle and turned into a miracle three with just over a minute left to move the lead to double digits. The perfect end to a brutal year.

Five thoughts on the game.

1. Leyton Hammonds was great … but he got some help

Hammonds was outstanding. He had 20 points on 9/15 shooting to go with six boards. But, inexplicably, Shaka Smart had Texas’ token tall, troll-y white guy guarding him for much of the second half.

Hammonds treated him like Glenn Spencer has probably treated a few grad assistants — that is to say there wasn’t much left at the end.

LEYTON. HAMMONDS. https://t.co/yfpYxofIzW

— Cowboy Basketball (@OSUMBB) March 5, 2016

That shot, by the way, was the one I talked about above that made it 48-46. I believe it was also the last time Lammert guarded Hammonds.

2. Free throws!

This was mildly infuriating. Oklahoma State was in the bonus for 17 minutes in the second half after Texas picked up six fouls in three minutes (literally). The Pokes missed several front ends on 1-and-1s and finished the game 13/22 from the line. When it rains it pours (or clanks … or something).

3. OSU hoops = opposite of OSU football defense

Remember how much we loved the Oklahoma State defense for sucking in the first half of games last season and correcting all its mistakes in the second half? Yeah, OSU hoops is pretty much the opposite.

In its last five games (all losses), OSU hasn’t been down more than four points at the midway mark. It has lost each game by an average of 13 points. This is what happens when your backups (who should be minimal role players to begin with) are playing 40 minutes a game.

4. Prince Ibeh was great late

Ibeh’s Dwight Howard circa 2007 performance on the defensive end for Texas late sort of underscores that Oklahoma State can’t get into the paint and score. The Pokes oddly went away from shooting so many threes on Friday night which I found pretty curious. It only launched 13 times from deep (making three) which is find as long as you’re getting layups and bunnies all night. This unfortunately was not the case.

5. Travis Ford’s GIA Finale

I hate it for him and his family, but the reality is that was probably the last game Travis Ford will ever coach in GIA as the Oklahoma State head coach. Apparently, it’s going down soon. #sources

Announced attendance tonight: 4,023. Smallest for an #OKState conference home game since 1986.

— Mark Cooper (@mark_cooperjr) March 5, 2016

Ford finishes 85-25 in GIA and finishes Big 12 regular season play with his fifth losing conference season in eight tries.

OSU will play Kansas State on Wednesday at the Big 12 Tournament