NORMAN, Okla. (Interstat) — In a game defined by a decisive second-half surge, the Texas Longhorns overcame a halftime deficit to defeat the Oklahoma Sooners 79-69 in a Southeastern Conference men’s basketball matchup Saturday at Lloyd Noble Center.

A crowd of 9,198 saw the Longhorns, who trailed by three at the break, outscore the Sooners 49-36 after halftime. The victory improved Texas to 13-9 overall, while Oklahoma dropped to 11-10.

The most important stretch of the game came early in the second half, when Texas transformed a 33-30 deficit into a commanding lead. After trading baskets to start the period, the Longhorns unleashed a 15-4 run over a five-minute span. The surge was fueled by interior dominance and timely shooting. Forward Camden Heide, who scored all 13 of his points after halftime, ignited the run with a 3-pointer. Center Matas Vokietaitis, a 7-foot sophomore from Lithuania, then scored six consecutive points in the paint, part of his 14-point, six-rebound effort.

Oklahoma, which had led for much of the first half behind the hot hand of guard Nijel Pack, suddenly found its offense stagnant. The Longhorns’ defense tightened, and the Sooners’ shooting, which had been effective early, cooled considerably. Texas extended its lead to as many as 14 points midway through the half and maintained a double-digit cushion for nearly the final 12 minutes of the game.

The Longhorns were led by a standout performance from forward Dailyn Swain. The 6-foot-8 junior from Columbus, Ohio, recorded a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, adding six assists. His all-around play was pivotal, especially during the second-half run where he facilitated the offense and scored key baskets. Swain’s performance continued a streak of strong outings, following games of 30, 26 and 29 points in his last three contests.

Pack led all scorers with 23 points for Oklahoma, but 15 of those came in the first half. Guard Xzayvier Brown added 15 points and five rebounds, while forward Derrion Reid finished with 15 points and five boards. The Sooners, however, were hampered by inefficient offense, shooting just 41% from the field and 32% from 3-point range for the game.

Texas won the battle in the paint decisively, outscoring Oklahoma 42-28. The Longhorns also shot a blistering 60% from the field on 30-of-50 shooting, a key factor in their ability to pull away. Their offensive rating of 121.3 points per 100 possessions starkly contrasted with Oklahoma’s mark of 99.1.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair featuring eight lead changes. Oklahoma built its largest lead at 23-14 following a 3-pointer from Kirill Elatontsev, who had nine points and four assists. Texas responded with a 14-5 run to close the half, capped by a 3-pointer from Simeon Wilcher and a dunk from Heide, trimming the Sooners’ advantage to 33-30 at the intermission.

The victory marked a significant road win for Texas, which had been installed as a slight 1.5-point favorite pregame despite statistical models favoring the Sooners. The combined score of 148 points fell well under the over/under line of 157.5.

Texas returns to action Tuesday at home against South Carolina. Oklahoma travels to face Kentucky on Wednesday.