Sooners Drop Fifth Straight in SEC Play, Fall to South Carolina 85-76
Oklahoma’s slide in Southeastern Conference play continued Tuesday night, as the Sooners dropped their fifth straight league game in an 85-76 road loss to South Carolina. The defeat also marked OU’s fifth loss to an unranked opponent this season-another tough blow for a team that’s seen its NCAA Tournament hopes start to slip away.
Let’s dive into what stood out from a game that saw the Sooners once again playing catch-up early and struggling to find answers late.
Slow Start Sinks Sooners Early
Once again, OU found itself staring at a scoreboard that wasn’t kind in the opening minutes. South Carolina forward Elijah Strong came out firing, rattling off an 11-0 run by himself to open the game. That early burst put the Sooners in a hole they’d spend the rest of the night trying to climb out of.
Oklahoma never led or even tied the game in the first half, and for much of the opening 14 minutes, the offense looked stuck in neutral. But credit where it’s due-the Sooners didn’t fold. They caught fire late in the half, hitting 9 of their final 11 shots to trim what had been a 14-point deficit to just three at halftime, 39-36.
That late-half surge was powered by the trio of Xzayvier Brown, Derrion Reid, and Tae Davis, who combined for 32 of OU’s 36 first-half points. Brown and Davis, in particular, have been the heartbeat of this team in SEC play.
Brown came in averaging 17.6 points per game in conference action, with Davis right behind at 14.2. The duo combined for 23 points before the break, keeping OU within striking distance.
Meanwhile, senior guard Nijel Pack-who led the team in scoring during nonconference play-is still trying to find his rhythm in SEC competition. He’s averaging 13.4 points per game in league play, a dip from his 16.6 average earlier in the season.
Just when it looked like the Sooners might seize some momentum heading into the locker room, South Carolina freshman E.J. Walker tipped in a buzzer-beating putback to give the Gamecocks a three-point cushion. It was a small moment, but one that set the tone for a second half where OU never quite found its footing.
Brown, Davis Can't Do It Alone in Second Half
Coming out of the break, the Sooners were within one possession. But that’s as close as they’d get.
South Carolina quickly reasserted control, stretching the lead back to double digits. OU’s defense struggled to contain the Gamecocks’ attack, and the offense couldn’t keep pace-despite continued efforts from Brown and Davis, who combined for 19 points in the second half.
The problem? South Carolina’s Meechie Johnson matched that output by himself, pouring in 18 second-half points and effectively neutralizing OU’s top weapons.
Derrion Reid, who had a solid first half with nine points, was limited to just four points over 17 second-half minutes. Without a consistent third option, the Sooners couldn’t keep up.
The shooting numbers told the story. South Carolina shot a blistering 52.2% from the field after halftime, while OU managed just 38.7%.
And from deep? It was rough-just 7.7% for the Sooners in the second half, a stat that proved costly down the stretch.
Perimeter Woes Continue to Haunt OU
Three-point shooting has been a staple of Oklahoma’s offense this season, but Tuesday night was another cold one from beyond the arc. The Sooners shot just 5-of-27 from deep-their second-worst performance of the year behind only a 3-for-20 outing against Mississippi State.
Pack and fellow senior Jadon Jones, both known for their perimeter shooting, couldn’t get anything to fall. The duo went a combined 0-for-11 from deep and are now 2-for-24 over the last two games. That kind of slump is hard to overcome, especially when the opponent is knocking down shots.
South Carolina hit 9-of-20 from three and finished the night with 1.250 points per possession. OU, despite having one more possession (69 to 68), managed just 1.101. In a game where margins matter, that was the difference.
What's Next
With the regular season entering its final stretch, the Sooners are running out of time to turn things around. They’ll get another shot to right the ship Saturday in a road matchup against Missouri-a team that, like South Carolina, is unranked but capable.
At 1-5 in SEC play, OU needs more than just strong performances from Brown and Davis. They need consistency, shooting, and a spark to break this five-game skid.
The pieces are there. Now it’s about putting them together before the window closes.