OU men’s basketball rallied from an early deficit to defeat South Carolina 86-74 in its opening game of the SEC Tournament Wednesday night.
This win keeps the Sooners’ NCAA Tournament hopes alive. Entering this matchup listed among the “Next Four Out” of ESPN’s bracketology prediction, Wednesday's win over the Gamecocks has OU just outside the field of 68. If OU makes it to Saturday's semifinal, it's likely they'll make the cut.
Here are three takeaways from the Sooners’ tournament win:
Sooners overcome hot start from South Carolina
South Carolina came out of the gates firing, knocking down eight total 3-pointers through first-half action. South Carolina’s Kobe Knox, Mike Sharavjamts and Nordin Kapic each tallied two triples, resulting in a comfortable 13-point lead.
Knox finished the first with 11 points and three assists with help from Sharavjamts, who contributed 10 points and five rebounds.
South Carolina started the game with intense ball pressure from its blitz-heavy defensive coverage. OU broke the defense early, finding multiple open shots, but they rarely converted. As the half continued, this pressure created problems for the Sooners, resulting in five early turnovers from OU’s senior guard Nijel Pack and junior guard Xzayvier Brown.
Trailing by 13 points, OU responded with lockdown defense and clawed back to tie the game 42-42 at halftime. After South Carolina started the game 10 of 15 from the field, the Sooners picked up their defensive intensity with five minutes remaining, allowing only three of South Carolina’s next 15 to fall down heading into halftime on a 14-3 run.
OU's core took over
Sophomore forward Derrion Reid showcased his athleticism with a spinning baseline dunk to cap OU’s first-half comeback. In his first 24 minutes, Reid put up 17 points off 5 of 6 shooting and four rebounds.
OH MY GOODNESS 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/KwVehG5LRS
— Oklahoma Basketball (@OU_MBBall) March 12, 2026
Senior forward Tae Davis kept OU in the hunt through their first-half struggles. When the Sooners found their rhythm, Davis continued to produce, ending his night with 18 points off 70% from the field.
Pack finished his first half with 10 points and two assists. After absorbing plenty of contact throughout Wednesday's matchup, Pack ended his night with 24 points, five assists and two steals, including five 3-pointers.
Brown also delivered an efficient outing, missing just one of his seven field goal attempts while knocking down two triples. Brown concluded his night with 14 points, five rebounds and three assists off 85% from the field.
OU’s momentum carried through halftime
The Sooners built themselves a 10-point lead with 7:30 remaining and held their foot on the gas, pushing the deficit to as many as 17 points. After trailing early, the Sooners caught fire and controlled the game on both sides of the floor.
After allowing 42 points in the first half, OU increased its defensive pressure on the ball, concluding Wednesday's matchup with eight total steals and three blocks, leading to a 32-point South Carolina second half, and an 86-74 victory.
Next, the Sooners remain in Nashville for their second round matchup Thursday against No. 14 Texas A&M (21-10, 11-7 SEC) at 8:30 p.m. Thursday on SEC Network.
This story was edited by Laurie Jones.
