Oklahoma (17-12, 4-12) lost to Mississippi (20-9, 9-7) 87-84 Saturday afternoon in Oxford, Mississippi.
After the Sooners took a two-point lead with 30 seconds remaining, former Edmond Memorial High School standout Sean Pedulla hit a go-ahead three to put the Rebels back in front and seal the game. The loss deals another crushing blow to Oklahoma’s NCAA Tournament hopes.
Here are three takeaways from the Sooners’ loss:
Dayton Forsythe has career day
Despite the loss, the freshman guard from Dale, Oklahoma put up a career-high in points and did everything he could to try and will the Sooners to a victory.
Forsythe finished with 25 points on seven of nine shooting. The freshman guard also shot four of five from deep and went a perfect seven of seven from the free throw line. 23 of Forsythe’s 25 points came in the second half as the Sooners attempted to come from behind and steal one from the Rebels.
Forsythe also finished with two rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes of action. The freshman guard played a relatively flawless second half, until committing a costly turnover in the final seconds of the game.
Forsythe was the only Sooner who finished with double digit points in the second half. Senior forward Sam Godwin had eight points in the second to finish with 12 total for the game.
Dayton from deep 🔥that's 2️⃣0️⃣ points for the freshman from Dale! pic.twitter.com/vFubqomC0c
— Oklahoma Basketball (@OU_MBBall) March 1, 2025
Freshman guard Jeremiah Fears finished with 13 points on four of 14 shooting. Transfer guard Duke Miles, who was the second-leading scorer for the Sooners, finished with 15 points on five of eight shooting.
Three-point shooting, free throws keep OU alive in first half
In the first 20 minutes of the game, Oklahoma only made 11 total shots and struggled to generate consistent offense.
Despite the slow offensive start, six of the Sooners 11 made baskets came from behind the three-point line. Oklahoma shot six of 13 from deep –46%– to head into the locker room at halftime only trailing by one 39-38.
Transfer guards Brycen Goodine, Miles and Kobe Elvis put in all of the threes for the Sooners, with each guard knocking down two triples. Freshman guard Jeremiah Fears went zero of three from deep, and senior forward Jalon Moore and freshman guard Dayton Forsythe both missed one three.
corner 3️⃣ for the lead 🎯 pic.twitter.com/24PJxXZg0v
— Oklahoma Basketball (@OU_MBBall) March 1, 2025
another three for Goodine! 👌 pic.twitter.com/1OtJXXTeBN
— Oklahoma Basketball (@OU_MBBall) March 1, 2025
The Sooners’ efficiency also kept them in the game in the first half, showing improvement in an area where the Sooners have struggled in their past couple of games. 10 of Oklahoma’s 38 first half points came courtesy of free throws.
Fears, Moore, Miles and Godwin were the only Sooners who got to the line in the first half. Of the four, Miles was the only one who missed a free throw, finishing the half three of four. Fears finished three of three, and Godwin and Moore finished two of two.
Turnovers put Sooners in early hole
Once again in SEC play, Oklahoma struggled to maintain control of the basketball in the first half.
The Sooners committed nine total turnovers in the first half. Five of those nine came in the first five minutes of the game. Oklahoma struggled to adjust to high-pressure defense from the Rebels early, falling victim to two shot-clock turnovers in the first five minutes.
Elvis and Goodine both had two turnovers in the first half. Fears, Moore and Miles all had one turnover each.
After committing five turnovers in the first five minutes, the Sooners played the next six minutes of the half turnover free before a bad pass from Elvis with nine minutes left in the half. The Sooners then had three more turnovers throughout the remainder of the half and found themselves in a one-point hole at halftime.
Next, the Sooners will be back at home for senior night when they take on the No. 14 Missouri Tigers (21-7, 10-5) at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Mar. 5 inside the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman.
Oklahoma (17-11, 4-11) vs. Mississippi (19-9, 8-7)
TV: ESPN 2
Tip Time: 1:00 p.m.
Location: The Sandy and John Black Pavilion in Oxford, MS
Notes: After a heartbreaking 83-82 loss in a Wednesday night thriller against Kentucky, Oklahoma is once again looking for a bounce-back performance to keep its NCAA Tournament hopes alive. With only three games remaining in the regular season, the Sooners have their backs up against the wall as they fight for a March Madness bid. Saturday will mark the sixth meeting between the Sooners and the Rebels, and the second meeting in Oxford. The Sooners hold an overall 3-2 advantage over the Rebels, with their most recent victory coming in a 59-55 win in the 2022 ESPN Events Invitational championship game.
Oklahoma Men’s Basketball schedule:
Nov. 4: Oklahoma 93, Lindenwood 60
Nov. 11: Oklahoma 73, Northwestern State 57
Nov. 16: Oklahoma 85, Stetson 64
Nov. 21: Oklahoma 84, East Texas A&M 56
Nov. 27: Oklahoma 79, Providence 77
Nov. 28: Oklahoma 82, Arizona 77
Nov. 29: Oklahoma 69, Louisville 64
Dec. 3: Oklahoma 76, Georgia Tech 61
Dec. 7: Oklahoma 94, Alcorn 78
Dec. 14: Oklahoma 80, Oklahoma State 65
Dec. 18: Oklahoma 87, Michigan 86
Dec. 22: Oklahoma 89, Central Arkansas 66
Dec. 29: Oklahoma 89, Prairie View A&M 67
Jan. 4: Alabama 107, Oklahoma 79
Jan. 8: Texas A&M 80, Oklahoma 78
Jan. 11: Georgia 72, Oklahoma 62
Jan. 15: Texas, 77, Oklahoma 73
Jan. 18: Oklahoma 82, South Carolina 62
Jan. 25: Oklahoma 65, Arkansas 62
Jan. 28: Texas A&M 75, Oklahoma 68
Feb. 1: Oklahoma 97, Vanderbilt 67
Feb. 4: Auburn 98, Oklahoma 70
Feb. 8: Tennessee 70, Oklahoma 52
Feb. 12: Missouri 82, Oklahoma 58
Feb. 15: LSU 82, Oklahoma 79
Feb. 18: Florida 85, Oklahoma 62
Feb. 22: Oklahoma 93, Mississippi State 87
Feb. 26: Kentucky 83, Oklahoma 82
March 1: at Mississippi at 1 p.m. (TV: ESPN2)
March 5: vs. Missouri at 7 p.m. (TV: SEC Network)
March 8: at Texas at 7 p.m. (TV: SEC Network)
