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GAME NOTES: The ninth-ranked Texas Longhorns close out a two-game road trip this weekend in Norman, as they battle the Oklahoma Sooners in Big 12 action from the Lloyd Noble Center.

Rick Barnes' Longhorns were in need of a quality win and got that very thing on Monday, with a 72-60 victory at Oklahoma State. Texas had dropped three of its previous four games, but with the victory over the Cowboys, remained within striking distance, just two games behind top-ranked Kansas in the Big 12 standings.

The Sooners on their other hand, have no Big 12 championship aspirations this season. With last weekend's 63-46 whipping at the hands of Nebraska, OU has now dropped three of its last four games and has fallen to a mere 3-4 in league play.

This is the 75th all-time meeting between these two teams, with Oklahoma holding a 46-28 edge. The Longhorns however, have won seven of the last eight meetings to close the gap a little.

It wasn't the usual suspects that led to Texas' big win in Stillwater this week, as freshman swingman Justin Hamilton came off the bench to pour in a career-high 27 points in just 19 minutes of work, converting 11-of-16 from the floor, including 5-of-8 from behind the arc. Damion James played second-fiddle in the game, adding 14 points to the cause, while Avery Bradley chipped in with 10. Texas as a whole shot 50.8 percent from the floor, including a scorching 59.3 percent over the final 20 minutes. James is one of the top frontcourt players in the country, averaging a double-double with 18.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game. Bradley provides perimeter support at 12.1 ppg, while Dexter Pittman (11.6 ppg, 5.9 rpg) aids in the low post. The Longhorns are an efficient offensive team, averaging 84.7 ppg this year, on .483 shooting.

Offensive proficiency is not a strength of this Oklahoma squad. The Sooners are netting a rather modest 73.6 ppg on the year, getting it done on a pedestrian .436 shooting clip. The starting five is talented though, with four of the players currently averaging double figures. Willie Warren leads the way at nearly 17 points per game (16.8). He is also second on the team in assists (77), but leads the way in turnovers (71). Freshman Tommy Mason-Griffin is a talented youngster, averaging 12.7 ppg, while pacing the team with 97 assists. Tony Crocker completes a productive backcourt trio at 11.9 ppg. Freshman Tiny Gallon casts huge shadow in the low post, as the 6-9, 300-punder is averaging 10.6 ppg and a team-high 8.4 rpg. Not much went right in Lincoln last weekend for Oklahoma, as Nebraska earned its first league win on the year. Oklahoma shot a mere .349 from the floor, turned the ball over 15 times and lost the battle on the boards (36-27). Cade Davis was the only Sooner to reach double figures, finishing with 13 points. Mason-Griffin added nine points, but Warren struggled, hitting just 1-of-5 shots from the floor in a miserable four-point performance.

A Texas win would give the Longhorns their 11th straight season with 20 or more victories. The Sooners have fallen on hard times this season and it would be a real shocker if they were able to keep this one close. Texas can't afford to fall much further behind Kansas, so look for a focused effort in this one.