After a month of frustration and nine straight losses, Oklahoma men’s basketball finally got the breakthrough it desperately needed - and it came in dramatic fashion. The Sooners knocked off No.
15 Vanderbilt, 92-91, earning not just their second SEC win of the season, but their first victory over a ranked opponent this year. For a team that’s been searching for answers, this one felt like a statement.
Oklahoma (12-12, 2-9 SEC) came into Saturday’s game looking to flip the script on a conference slate that’s been defined by late-game letdowns. From the opening tip, they played like a team on a mission.
The Sooners jumped out to a 13-3 lead and never looked back, taking control early and holding it for most of the afternoon. Their last win came back on Jan. 3 against Mississippi - over a month ago - but against a tough Vanderbilt squad (19-4, 6-4 SEC), OU looked like a team that had finally figured out how to close.
A big part of that turnaround? The backcourt trio of Xzayvier Brown, Nijel Pack, and Dayton Forsythe.
The three guards combined for 49 points, with Forsythe giving the Sooners a key boost off the bench. He dropped in 12 points, helping Oklahoma shoot an impressive 53% from the field and 43% from beyond the arc.
That kind of efficiency has been missing during the losing streak, but on Saturday, it was back - and it was contagious.
Senior forward Tae Davis set the tone early. He was everywhere in the first half, finishing with 14 points, four rebounds, and a block before the break.
Davis attacked the paint with purpose, drawing fouls and getting OU to the line, where they converted 10 first-half points. He was the only Sooner in double figures at halftime, but the supporting cast showed up in a big way - seven of the nine players who saw the floor scored in the opening 20 minutes.
That kind of depth and balance hasn’t always been there during SEC play, but it made all the difference against Vanderbilt.
Oklahoma led 48-34 at the half and never really lost its rhythm. Even when the Commodores made their runs - and they made a few - OU kept answering.
The offense stayed steady, with the longest scoring drought in the second half lasting just over two minutes. They cleaned up the ball security issues that have plagued them all season, turning it over just six times after committing eight giveaways in the first half.
And when it came down to crunch time, they didn’t blink.
Vanderbilt didn’t go quietly. Sophomore guard Tyler Tanner was electric, pouring in 37 points, while senior forward Tyler Nickel added 18 more.
The two combined for 55 points and nearly pulled off a stunning comeback, trimming a 19-point deficit down to a single possession in the final minute. But Brown stepped to the line and calmly knocked down the free throws that iced the game - a fitting end for a team that’s let so many close ones slip away.
Defensively, the Sooners had their hands full with Vanderbilt’s top scorers, but they made up for it with physicality in the paint. OU outscored the Commodores 40-30 inside, using a mix of post touches, cuts, and second-chance opportunities to keep the pressure on. That interior presence helped offset Vanderbilt’s perimeter firepower and gave Oklahoma the edge it needed.
Now, let’s be clear - one win doesn’t erase a rough conference stretch, and it doesn’t guarantee a trip to the NCAA Tournament. But what it does do is show that this team still has fight.
The pieces are there. The talent is there.
The question is whether the Sooners can bottle this performance and turn it into momentum down the stretch.
Next up, Oklahoma returns home to face Georgia (16-6, 4-5 SEC) at the Lloyd Noble Center. Tip-off is set for 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, and it’ll be another chance for the Sooners to prove that Saturday wasn’t just a blip - it was the beginning of something more.