Oklahoma’s Heartbreaker in Columbia Extends Losing Streak to Six, SEC Woes Deepen
For Oklahoma, Saturday’s game in Columbia wasn’t just another loss-it was a gut-wrenching, back-to-back buzzer-beater heartbreak that dropped the Sooners to a new low in what’s become a brutal stretch of SEC play.
The Sooners fell 88-87 in overtime to Missouri after surrendering not one, but two last-second daggers-one to force overtime and the other to lose it. That’s now six straight losses for Oklahoma, the longest skid under head coach Porter Moser in his five seasons at the helm. And with that, OU finds itself tied for last in the SEC standings and holding the league’s longest active losing streak.
What makes this one sting even more? Oklahoma had this game in hand-twice.
Veteran guard Nijel Pack snapped out of a recent slump with a much-needed breakout performance, pouring in 25 points and knocking down 5-of-8 from deep. It looked like the Sooners had finally found their rhythm again.
They led by three with just 5.6 seconds left in regulation. But Missouri’s Trent Pierce had other plans, pulling up from near midcourt and drilling a buzzer-beating three to force overtime.
Still, the Sooners responded. Xzayvier Brown hit a tough floater with 4.8 seconds remaining in OT to give Oklahoma a two-point edge.
But once again, the Tigers had an answer. This time it was Mark Mitchell, who buried a three at the horn to steal the win and send Oklahoma home stunned.
That shot marked the only time Missouri led in overtime-and it was the only one that mattered.
Now sitting at 11-9 overall and 1-6 in SEC play, Oklahoma’s slide continues. The Sooners dropped one more spot in the latest 247Sports SEC basketball poll, falling to a tie for 15th with Mississippi State. It’s a tough fall for a team that looked like it had the pieces early in the season but just hasn’t been able to string together wins in conference play.
Meanwhile, Florida held onto the No. 1 spot in the poll despite a home loss to Auburn. The Gators earned seven first-place votes and remain one of four teams to receive top billing this week.
Arkansas surged to second with two first-place votes, followed by Vanderbilt (also with two), and Texas A&M, which climbed to fourth and picked up a first-place vote of its own. The Aggies currently sit atop the SEC standings at 6-1.
Alabama dropped two spots to No. 5 after a home loss to Tennessee, who moved up to sixth. Kentucky, riding a five-game win streak, landed at No. 7, while Georgia-after a rough week-slid four spots to No.
- Auburn held steady at No. 9, and Texas moved up to No.
Missouri, fresh off its thriller against Oklahoma, checked in at No. 11, followed by Ole Miss, LSU, and South Carolina. Oklahoma and Mississippi State round out the rankings, tied at No. 15.
This season marks the second year of the expanded 16-team SEC, with Oklahoma and Texas now fully integrated into the weekly grind of conference play. As part of the 247Sports SEC basketball poll, reporters from across the network are ranking all 16 teams each week, offering a snapshot of where things stand as teams jockey for position in the SEC Tournament and, ultimately, a shot at the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
Here’s how the latest SEC poll stacks up after the third weekend of conference play:
- Florida (7)
- Arkansas (2) ↑3
- Vanderbilt (2) ↓1
- Texas A&M (1) ↑3
- Alabama ↓2
- Tennessee ↑1
- Kentucky ↓1
- Georgia ↓4
- Auburn -
- Texas ↑1
- Missouri ↓1
- Ole Miss -
- LSU -
- South Carolina ↑2
T-15. Oklahoma ↓1
T-15. Mississippi State -
Oklahoma’s next opportunity to stop the bleeding comes soon, but after a loss like this, it’s not just about X’s and O’s-it’s about resilience. The Sooners have talent.
They’ve shown flashes. But until they can close out games like Saturday’s, the climb out of the SEC basement is going to be steep.