Longhorns Cruise to Big 12 Semi-Final With Win vs. Oklahoma State

The Longhorns are now one win away from the Big 12 Tournament final after beating Oklahoma State on Thursday.

The Texas Longhorns have found themselves one win away from the Big 12 Tournament, after dismantling Oklahoma State 60-47 in Kansas City. 

Texas, who was without one of their top players in forward Timmy Allen, took control of the game early vs. the Cowboys, leading by as many as 11 in the first half, and taking a nine-point lead into the locker room at halftime. 

And in the second half, that dominance continues, with the Horns expanding that leading to as many as 17 points.

The Cowboys were able to close the gap a bit in the final minutes, but in the end, the Longhorns lead was just too much to overcome.  

With that said, the offense wasn't exactly impressive for the Horns, with the team shooting just 37 percent from the floor, as Sir'Jabari Rice led the way with 15 points.

What was there for the Longhorns, as has been the case for the vast majority of the season, was the defense, which held the Cowboys to a mere 27.5 percent from the floor and 15 percent from beyond the arc. 

With the win, the Horns will now turn their attention to either Kansas State or TCU in the semi-finals. Meanwhile, Kansas will take on Iowa State on the other end of the bracket for the right to go to the final. 

The Longhorns split their regular season series with both Kansas State and TCU. Texas beat TCU in Austin, and lost in Ft. Worth, with their loss to Kansas State coming in Austin.

Tip-off is set for 8:30 PM on Friday night. 

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You can follow Matt Galatzan on Twitter @MattGalatzan

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