OU Basketball: Oklahoma KOs Georgia from SEC Tournament to Set Up Kentucky Rematch

Oklahoma never trailed and never really worried in a 70-52 SEC Tournament removal of Georgia Thursday in Greenville, S.C.

Raegan Beers had her way with the slighter Bulldogs with 22 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots as No. 5-seed OU advanced into Friday’s much-anticipated 1:30 p.m. quarterfinal against 4-seeded Kentucky.

The 24-6 Sooners are on an eight-game winning streak since falling 95-86 to Kentucky Feb. 2 in Norman.

Here are three takeaways from OU’s postseason opener:

Zya Vann Steps Up

Beers and Liz Scott (10 points) took advantage of a Georgia frontcourt that featured height but not a lot of muscle. It was hardly surprising that OU owned a 38-18 scoring advantage in the lane.

What the Sooners needed was a guard to complement their steady inside presence. That had been Payton Verhulst, primarily, over OU’s regular season-ending winning streak. It was Zya Vann Thursday.

The freshman point guard came off the bench and scored 10 points. She was the Sooners’ steadiest ballhandler and passer on a day OU had 17 turnovers. She made two of her three 3-point tries on a day OU made just 6-of-28 from deep.

Some Good, Some Meh

The Sooners must be sharper overall in Friday’s quarterfinal than they were Thursday.

They must rediscover their outside shooting eye. Velhurst went 0-for-6 from deep against Georgia. Lexy Keys and Skylar Vann went 0-3.

They must convert on the run like they have been over their streak; statisticians did not award either OU or Georgia a single fast-break point.

They must secure the ball better, as evident by their 11 first-half turnovers, something that helped keep the 13-19 Bulldogs within 36-29 at the break.

The Sooners were formidable when they took care of business. They assisted on 27 of their 29 field goals, led by Verhulst’s seven, Keys’ five and Zya Vann’s five.

"I was proud of the way we finished," OU coach Jennie Baranczyk told the SEC Network postgame, referencing her team's 34-23 second half, "but there is a lot we can do better."

OU Not Through with Georgia

Avenging OU’s month-old loss to Kentucky in Friday’s quarterfinals starts with doing something the Sooners could not in their Feb. 2 setback – containing Georgia Amoore.

Amoore dazzled in Norman with a career-high 43 points. She shot 15-of-22, made seven 3-pointers and added eight assists. She scored 10 in the first quarter as Kentucky bolted to a 30-19 lead.

OU tried to keep up behind Sahara Williams’ career-high 27 points, Zya Vann’s career-high 17 and double-doubles from both Beers and Verhulst, but to no avail.

Not with Kentucky outscoring OU 42-18 from the 3-point line. Not with Amoore – the only active NCAA Div. I player, male or female, with at least 2,000 career points and 800 assists – having a defining game.