Oklahoma Takes Down No. 2 South Carolina in Overtime Thriller

NORMAN — Oklahoma snapped its three-game losing streak in the biggest way imaginable.

The Sooners went blow-for-blow with No. 2 South Carolina in a game that needed more than 40 minutes.

Raegan Beers’ offensive rebound and putback tied the game at 75-75 with 18.4 seconds remaining, then Zya Vann’s on-ball defense prevented the Gamecocks from getting up a shot.

Overtime was all Oklahoma.

Aaliyah Chavez started the extra five minutes off with a corner 3 to spark an OU avalanche.

The Sooners started overtime on a 12-2 run as Chavez and Payton Verhulst traded buckets, including three Chavez triples, to fuel a 94-82 victory.

The win was Oklahoma’s highest-ranked win since Jennie Baranczyk’s squad knocked off No. 3 Texas in February of 2024.

Here are three takeaways from the season-changing win.

Not a Fluke

There were no gimmicks on Thursday night.

The Sooners didn’t bury the Gamecocks with a 3-point barrage or force an uncharacteristic number of turnovers.

Instead, OU put their head down and competed with the SEC standard bearers possession-for-possession across four quarters.

Baranczyk’s team out-rebounded South Carolina 54-39, which compensated for the Gamecocks’ 21-13 turnover advantage.

But where the Sooners really punished South Carolina was in transition.

Even after South Carolina’s made buckets, OU quickly inbounded the ball, pushed the pace and found cutters streaking down the lane.

The Sooners finished with 15 fast-break points and Oklahoma outscored South Carolina 50-38 in the paint.

Sooners Rallied After Halftime

The visitors took a seven-point lead into halftime, but roared out of the break.

Freshman star Aaliyah Chavez exploded for six quick points to help power OU on an 8-0 run to take the lead.

The Gamecocks put up four points in response, but the Sooners didn’t wilt.

Veterans Sahara Williams and Raegan Beers both came alive from the field, combining to shoot 6-of-9 from the floor in the third period alone to each chip in six points.

OU outscored South Carolina 25-16 in the period, and had the opportunity to protect a two-point lead in the fourth quarter.

With everything to play for, the Sooners ramped up the defensive intensity.

Oklahoma forced 11-straight misses from the field in the middle of the fourth quarter, a shooting slump that was snapped with four minutes remaining.

But there was still work to do.

A pair of OU turnovers saw South Carolina take a 75-73 lead with 41 seconds remaining, but Baranczyk’s blend of youth and experience was able to ride the wave and finish strong in overtime.

OU ups the Physicality

In the Sooners’ last two home losses to No. 18 Ole Miss and No. 6 LSU, Baranczyk candidly said her young backcourt got pushed around.

Chavez and Zya Vann held strong on Thursday night.

The underclassmen duo combined to commit just four turnovers, and at no point did either Chavez or Vann look overwhelmed by South Carolina’s defense.

Chavez finished with 26 points on 9-of-19 shooting as well as eight assists, and Vann added 11 points, three rebounds and three assists.

Beers finished with 18 points and 14 rebounds, and Verhulst added 19 points on 8-of-15 shooting.

Sahara Williams also finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds to help push the Sooners across the finish line.

The Sooners will be back in action on Sunday when they travel to the Plains to take on Auburn.

Tip-off between OU and the Tigers is slated for 1 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.