Oklahoma Sooners pull off historic overtime upset of South Carolina

The No. 16 Oklahoma Sooners ended a three-game SEC losing streak in spectacular fashion, defeating the No. 2 South Carolina Gamecocks 94-82 in overtime on Thursday night at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman.

The win was just the third time in program history that Oklahoma has beaten an AP top-two opponent, joining wins over No. 2 Kansas State in 2024 and No. 2 Texas in 2004. Moreover, the Sooners’ 12-point victory in overtime is tied for the second-largest against a top-two AP team in NCAA women’s history since 1981-82. Only Utah has won by more in OT, beating No. 2 UCLA by 13 on January 22, 2024, while Virginia Tech’s 12-point win over No. 2 NC State on January 28, 2021, matches Oklahoma’s feat.

Freshman guard Aaliyah Chavez led the charge, scoring a game-high 26 points while adding eight assists and four rebounds. After a quiet first half limited to just three points, Chavez came alive in the second half and anchored the team in overtime, scoring 15 of her total points and going 5-of-5 from the field during the extra period. She also made four three-pointers in overtime alone and was directly involved in 17 of the Sooners’ 19 points in the final five minutes.

Senior center Raegan Beers contributed a double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds, and junior forward Sahara Williams had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Senior guard Payton Verhulst scored 19 points, including a crucial stepback three-pointer in the third quarter and a behind-the-back assist to Keziah Lofton for a layup. Zya Vann also chipped in 11 points and three assists. All five starters reached double figures. Oklahoma outrebounded South Carolina 54-39 and outscored the Gamecocks 50-38 in the paint, compensating for a 21-13 deficit in turnovers.

South Carolina Gamecocks went into halftime with a seven-point halftime lead, 43-36, but the Oklahoma Sooners stormed out of the break with an 8-0 run to take a 44-43 lead on a Chavez three-pointer. The teams traded leads through the third quarter, but Oklahoma held a slim 61-59 advantage entering the final period. In the fourth, the Gamecocks momentarily regained a 75-73 lead following an 8-0 run with 41 seconds remaining. However, Beers’ offensive rebound and putback tied the game ame at 75-75 with 18.4 seconds remaining, and Vann’s steal on South Carolina’s final possession forced overtime.

The Sooners surged in the extra period, scoring the first five points and extending their lead to double digits on a combination of Chavez’s threes and Verhulst’s layups. Chavez clinched the win with a three-pointer at the shot clock expiration, giving Oklahoma a 94-80 lead with 17 seconds left.

Junior guard Tessa Johnson paced the Gamecocks with 19 points, accompanied by Raven Johnson’s 16 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Senior guard Ta’Niya Latson scored just six points on 1-of-10 shooting, with Joyce Edwards putting up 12 points. South Carolina shot 37% overall (30-of-81).

With the victory, the Oklahoma Sooners improved to 15-4 overall and 3-3 in SEC play, while the South Carolina Gamecocks dropped to 19-2 and 5-1 in the conference. Oklahoma will travel to face Auburn on Sunday, and the Gamecocks host undefeated Vanderbilt.

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