College Basketball: Oklahoma State at Texas – Texas Favored
Team Page: Oklahoma State :: Texas
50% of Bets Placed on Texas -7.5 | Matchup | CBB Picks
The last time Oklahoma State played Texas, the Cowboys won in a triple-overtime thriller. Coming off yet another multiple-OT victory, No. 17 Oklahoma State looks to knock off the Longhorns again when they meet in Austin on Monday night.
Oddsmakers have made Texas -7.5 point spread favorites (College Basketball Odds) for todays game, the over/under has been set at 150.5 total points (View College Basketball Sports Books).
On Jan. 16, Mario Boggan’s 3-pointer with 3.2 seconds left in the third overtime lifted the Cowboys (19-5, 5-4 Big 12) over the Longhorns 105-103 for their sixth win in the last nine meetings.
Boggan finished with 37 points and 20 rebounds, both career highs, to help overcome a 37-point, 12-rebound performance from Texas freshman star Kevin Durant.
On Monday, the Longhorns will look for revenge when they take on a Cowboys team that’s coming off its third multiple-overtime victory of the season.
Boggan put together a familiar effort Saturday, scoring 35 points and grabbing 14 boards to help Oklahoma State to a 93-91 victory in double OT. The Cowboys rallied from 11 down in regulation and seven down in the first extra period to avoid a third straight loss.
"I’m really proud of our guys," coach Sean Sutton said. "This is the fourth time we have played in overtime … and we were able to pull all four out. They showed a lot of grit and a lot of character down the stretch to hang in there and keep fighting."
Since opening the season with 15 wins in 16 games, Sutton’s team has dropped four of eight. All four losses came on the road, where Oklahoma State is shooting 37.7 percent and averaging 60.8 points, compared to 87.6 points per game on 51.0 percent shooting in Stillwater, where the Cowboys are 14-0.
Oklahoma State has lost eight straight road games dating to Feb. 4 of last year, the team’s longest road losing streak since opening the 1996-97 season with nine consecutive road defeats.
Also, the Cowboys will be taking on the Longhorns in Austin, where Texas is 12-1 this season.
Texas (17-7, 7-3) rebounded from a disheartening 100-82 loss at Texas Tech last Monday with a 77-68 home victory over Iowa State on Saturday. Point guard D.J. Augustin, one of the Longhorns’ four freshman starters, scored a career-high 31 points to help Texas overcome a rare off game from Durant.
The Big 12 leader at 25.1 points and 11.4 rebounds per contest, Durant shot just 6-of-16 from the field and finished with 17 points. He had averaged 32.6 points in his first nine conference games, and his previous low in Big 12 play had been 26.
It’s possible another duel with Boggan could help Durant get back on track, although the soft-spoken freshman didn’t seem to indicate the rematch with the Oklahoma State would give him extra motivation.
"It was a regular game. As far as me, I don’t know," Durant said this week of the Jan. 16 meeting. "It was just a loss in our book and we took it hard."
Along with a return to form for Durant, Texas is hoping for a repeat performance from Augustin, who added six assists, hit all 10 of his free throws and went 3-for-5 from 3-point range Saturday.
"I thought it was the best performance from anybody on our team this year because of what he did on both ends," coach Rick Barnes said. "He really, by far and away, led today like he’s never led before."
The Longhorns, tied for third in the Big 12 with Kansas State, will be looking to move within 1 1/2 games of first-place Texas A&M on Monday.
The Cowboys have dropped 10 of their last 12 at Austin, where they’re 12-18 all-time.
Texas leads the series with Oklahoma State 34-33.
by: Marc Young – theSpread.com – Email Us
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