Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
Texas
Cowboys stumble in Austin
January 24, 2006 | Cowboy Basketball
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Brad Buckman scored 19 points, Daniel Gibson kept up his hot shooting and No. 4 Texas stayed perfect in the Big 12 with an 80-46 victory over Oklahoma State on Monday night, the Longhorns' ninth straight win.
Gibson scored 18 points and LaMarcus Aldridge added 14 for Texas (17-2, 5-0) in a blowout that matched Eddie Sutton's worst loss at Oklahoma State. Texas beat the Cowboys 92-58 in 1997 in the first matchup between these schools in the Big 12.
The Longhorns have found a perfect combination of defense and 3-point shooting in a winning streak that has them sitting alone atop the Big 12. They hit 12 3-pointers and held their ninth straight opponent under 40 percent shooting.
Gibson, who hit nine 3-pointers in a win Saturday over Baylor and is shooting better than 50 percent in Big 12 games, hit three in the first half as Texas built the lead as high as 19 points in the opening minutes.
The Longhorns came in giving up an average of 54 points in Big 12 play, fewest in the league, and held the Cowboys to their lowest total of the season.
David Monds scored 11 points to lead Oklahoma State (12-7, 2-3), which had no fast break points and committed 20 turnovers.
Sutton tried to confuse the Longhorns with a mix of zone and man defenses that stymied Texas under the basket but did little to disrupt the perimeter shooting.
Gibson missed his first two 3-pointers but quickly settled into a rhythm. The Longhorns scored just six points in the paint in the first half but hit eight 3-pointers.
Kenton Paulino hit the first, then Gibson followed with two in a row. Buckman followed with two more and Gibson's third made it 33-14 before the Cowboys closed the half with an 8-3 run to make it 36-22.
The Longhorns needed the outside production. P.J. Tucker and Aldridge, Texas' leading scorers this season, combined for just four points against Baylor and totaled eight points in the first half against the Cowboys.
Aldridge found his form in the second, hitting three of his first four shots and converted two three-point plays. The second gave Texas a 53-30 lead with 12 minutes to play.
By then the rout - and the dunkfest - was on.
Gibson hit his fifth 3-pointer and A.J. Abrams fed Tucker for a nifty alley-oop dunk that stretched the lead to 65-38. Paulino had nine assists and connected with Aldridge for another showtime jam to put the exclamation point on the blowout.
