A first look at Oklahoma ahead of SEC Tournament semifinal clash against South Carolina

It turns out that South Carolina’s softball team won’t be the only one facing off against Oklahoma this weekend.

The way that cards were dealt in the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament, the Gamecocks and the Sooners will also play against each other on the basketball court. But in this specific matchup, the stakes are much higher. Win, and you’re in the conference championship game.

Before the game tips off at 4:30 p.m. on ESPN2, here’s what Oklahoma brings to the table.

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How they got here

The Sooners finished the regular season with a 23-6 overall record, including a 11-5 mark in conference play. Both Oklahoma and Kentucky headed into the SEC Tournament with the same record against in-conference opponents, but the Wildcats held the tiebreaker over them. Because of this, the Sooners missed out on a double-bye and entered the tournament as a No. 5 seed.

Oklahoma played its first game of the SEC Tournament, a 70-52 win over No. 12 seed Georgia, on Thursday. The Sooners held the Bulldogs to 21-74 shooting (28.4%) over the full 40 minutes of the game. Raegan Beers led the team in both points (22) and blocks (three), while tying for the team lead in rebounds (eight) and making nine of her 14 field goal attempts. Liz Scott nearly had a double-double off the bench, as she scored 11 points and grabbed eight boards.

Oklahoma carried that momentum into its quarterfinal contest against No. 4 seed Kentucky, pulling off a 69-65 upset victory on Friday. The Wildcats led by five points heading into the halftime break, but the Sooners outscored their opponent 43-34 in the second half to claim the win. Beers had a 20-point, 11-rebound performance, while Kentucky’s Georgia Amoore dropped 29 points and accumulated five rebounds and seven assists in the losing effort.

Last time out

South Carolina and Oklahoma have faced off once since the latter joined the SEC ahead of the 2024-25 season. The Gamecocks had a dominant showing in that contest, earning a 101-60 win at Colonial Life Arena on Jan. 19, 2025.

Beers put up a strong performance in this game, scoring a team-high 23 points on 10-16 shooting and grabbing eight rebounds. But it was still not enough, as the Gamecocks gained a 28-9 lead by the end of the first quarter and never relinquished the lead. Joyce Edwards led South Carolina with 17 points, and she was one of five players on the team to finish in double figures.

That January meeting served as the only time the Gamecocks have won in the two teams’ all-time series, though. Heading into this year, South Carolina was previously 0-3 against Oklahoma.

Where they sit in the rankings

The Sooners are ranked in both the AP and USA Today Coaches polls. Oklahoma is currently No. 10 in the AP poll, having gone up three spots after receiving 450 votes. The USA Today Coaches poll also pegged the Sooners as the No. 10 team in the country with 470 votes.

According to the NCAA Women’s Basketball NET rankings, Oklahoma is ranked No. 14. Five SEC programs – South Carolina, Texas, LSU, Tennessee and Ole Miss – sit ahead of it in the rankings. The Sooners are 6-6 against Quad 1 teams, 3-0 against both Quad 2 and Quad 3 teams and 12-0 against Quad 4 teams.

Players to watch

Raegan Beers (Junior, center) – Beers transferred to Oklahoma after playing a central role in Oregon State’s push to the Elite Eight in 2023-24. She has had a similar effect on the Sooners’ success through the regular season and the postseason this year. Beers is currently averaging 17.8 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, in addition to shooting 68.2% from the floor. She earned a place on the All-SEC First Team for her efforts.

Payton Verhulst (Senior, guard) – The only other Sooners player to receive All-SEC recognitions (Second Team), Verhulst is in her second year with the team. The reigning Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and All-Big 12 First Team selection is second on the team in points per game (14.9) and first in assists per game (3.8).

Sahara Williams (Sophomore, forward) – Williams finished her freshman season with a 2023-24 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention to her name. She has slightly improved on the statistical averages she recorded last season. She is averaging 10.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game through 31 games in the 2024-25 campaign.

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