OU Basketball: Oklahoma KOs Kentucky, Turns to SEC Semifinal vs. South Carolina

Familiar contributions from three stalwarts and a surprising assist from a role player charged No. 5-seed Oklahoma past 4-seed Kentucky 69-65 in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals Friday.

Starters Raegan Beers, Payton Verhulst and Sahara Williams combined for 49 points and 17 rebounds as the 25-6 Sooners avenged a month-old homecourt loss to the Wildcats.

With seldom-used post Landry Allen adding five points, two rebounds and two assists in 10 second-half minutes, OU won its ninth straight since that Kentucky loss and advanced to Saturday's 3:30 p.m. semifinal tussle against top seed South Carolina.

The defending national champion Gamecocks eliminated Vanderbilt 84-63 in Friday's first quarterfinal.

Standout point guard Georgia Amoore led Kentucky Friday with 29 points, 14 fewer than her signature effort at OU Feb. 2. Post Clara Strack had 12 points and 16 rebounds, but no other Wildcat played significantly and the team left the tournament with a 22-7 record.

Here are three other takeaways from the Sooners' quarterfinal victory:

Bounceback Games for a Pair of Sooners

Beers, overpowering Kentucky’s taller but less forceful frontcourt, notched 20 points and 11 rebounds in her latest double-double show of strength.

What the OU post needed was help more from Velhurst and Williams than she got in Thursday’s SEC Tournament opener against Georgia, when the two teammates scored two points on 1-of-13 shooting.

The two teammates delivered.

Velhurst provided 16 points, five rebounds and some of OU’s best defense as the Sooners limited Kentucky to 38-percent shooting and forced 20 turnovers. She also made two of her three 3-point tries on a day OU went just 6-of-27 from deep.

Williams chipped in 13 points after scoring none against Georgia. Her basket off Liz Scott’s feed gave OU the lead for good, 60-59, with 3:18 remaining.

Welcome Landry Allen to the Postseason Party

The sophomore from Tuttle entered Friday with 31 points, five assists and four 3-pointers all season. OU coach Jennie Baranczyk gave her a shot as Kentucky built a 39-29 lead at the midway point of the third quarter.

Allen responded with a 3 in transition to cap a game-saving 8-0 run. OU’s next possession, she found Beers for an easy 2.

Allen worked another high-low with Beers to put OU up 54-53 with 8:37 remaining in the game. Then she posted and scored herself a few minutes later for a 58-55 lead.

Verhulst and Beers shouted out Allen during their postgame interview with ESPN’s Holly Rowe, Verhulst saying: “Through and through, we’re a deep team.”

OU went 11 deep to beat Kentucky, with Allen making one heck of a No. 11.

Next Up, the Champs

Two things OU must overcome in Saturday’s SEC semifinal: South Carolina’s aura as defending national champion, and the ease with which the Gamecocks dispatched the Sooners in their regular-season meeting.

The final score Jan. 19 in Columbia was 101-60. It was every bit that lopsided. South Carolina led 28-9 after the first quarter and 49-24 at halftime.

The Sooners came in averaging 88 points and carrying an 18-game streak with 70 or more. They finished with 60 on 36-percent shooting. Williams and Verhulst were a combined 1-of-14.

“We need to show up tomorrow better than we did in January,” Baranczyk told the on-site ESPN set following Friday’s quarterfinal win. “That’s the goal. And then you hope the score takes of itself.”

South Carolina showed that championship aura against OU six weeks ago, but it hasn’t been there every game this season. The Gamecocks, in fact, dropped two games last month – 66-62 at Texas Feb. 9 and 87-58 to UConn Feb. 16, a stunning result that snapped USC’s 71-game home winning streak.

Vanderbilt was within 68-63 of the Gamecocks at the 4-minute mark Thursday, before giving up a 16-0 run to finish the quarterfinal.