Oklahoma Sooners Snap SEC Losing Streak with Dominant Win Over South Carolina

NORMAN, Okla. — The Oklahoma Sooners secured their first Southeastern Conference (SEC) victory of the season on Saturday, defeating South Carolina 82-62 at the Lloyd Noble Center. The win snapped a four-game conference losing streak and improved the Sooners’ record to 14-4 overall and 1-4 in SEC play.

After a sluggish first half that saw Oklahoma commit 11 turnovers and lead by just five points, the team erupted in the second half with a 15-0 run. Jalon Moore led the charge, scoring 22 points and grabbing eight rebounds, while Jeremiah Fears orchestrated the offense with 16 points, nine rebounds, and a career-high eight assists.

“The understatement of the year is how bad we needed that,” said head coach Porter Moser. “To get that narrative of getting the first one out of the way and getting our confidence back up to play winning basketball. You’re going to have tons of opportunities in this league.”

Oklahoma’s defense also stepped up, forcing 17 turnovers and holding South Carolina to just 3 points off turnovers. The Sooners capitalized on their opportunities, scoring 19 points off turnovers and shooting 18-of-11 from the free-throw line.

Freshman Dayton Forsythe provided a spark off the bench, hitting a crucial 3-pointer in the second half and finishing with five points, two rebounds, and an assist. “After last game, we talked about it, and we all felt like, why do anything different than we did the last 15 minutes of the Texas game?” Forsythe said. “I feel like today we did that.”

The Sooners will now enjoy a bye week before traveling to face Arkansas on Saturday, Jan. 25.