Oklahoma Sooners Face Tough Test Against Georgia Bulldogs in SEC Showdown

The Oklahoma Sooners (13-2) are set to face the Georgia Bulldogs (13-2) in a high-stakes SEC basketball matchup at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Georgia, on Saturday at 5 p.m. ET. The game, which will be broadcast on ESPN2, marks the Sooners’ third consecutive game against a ranked opponent as they look to rebound from back-to-back conference losses.

Oklahoma, ranked 45th in NET and 40th in KenPom, enters the game after a heartbreaking loss to No. 9 Texas A&M, where they blew an 18-point lead. The Sooners are led by freshman guard Jeremiah Fears, who ranks fifth in the SEC in scoring (17.6 ppg), sixth in assists (4.3 apg), and seventh in steals (2.1 spg). Jalen Moore, averaging 17.4 ppg, adds to the Sooners’ offensive firepower, making them one of the few teams with two players in the SEC’s top 10 scorers.

Georgia, undefeated at home this season, is coming off an impressive 82-69 victory over No. 6 Kentucky. The Bulldogs are led by freshman forward Asa Newell, who averages 15.5 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Newell, a two-time SEC Freshman of the Week, has been a key contributor to Georgia’s success, ranking third in the SEC in field goal percentage (.586).

The Bulldogs’ defense has also been a standout, averaging 5.7 blocks per game, which ranks eighth nationally. Georgia’s home-court advantage at Stegeman Coliseum, where they have won 12 straight games, adds another layer of challenge for the Sooners.

This will be only the second meeting between the two programs, with Oklahoma winning the first matchup 93-90 on December 25, 1987, in the Chaminade Christmas Classic championship game in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Sooners will need to rely on their strong free-throw shooting, ranking sixth nationally at 81%, to stay competitive in what promises to be a tightly contested game.

Oklahoma head coach Porter Moser remains optimistic despite the team’s recent struggles. ‘We’ve got to continue to get better and there’s a lot of things we’ve got to continue to work on,’ Moser said. ‘It’s a really good win for us, obviously, but it’s a different SEC these days, so we’ve got to move on to the next one pretty quick.’

Georgia head coach Mike White praised Oklahoma’s resilience, noting, ‘Oklahoma, really good. You’re 0-2 in this league. What does that mean, right? I mean, they could reel off seven in a row. Simply good. Their spacing, their level of confidence, their skill level, their ability to make threes from different spots, their playmaking ability, especially with [Jeremiah] Fears, their super talented freshman.’

With both teams looking to solidify their positions in the SEC standings, Saturday’s matchup promises to be a thrilling contest between two of the conference’s top programs.