SEC Tournament: Sooners stomp Gators behind massive third-quarter run
Oklahoma just couldn’t pull away from Florida in the first half on Thursday.
The Sooners went into halftime with a two-point lead after a sloppy performance through 20 minutes. They committed 10 turnovers and shot just 15% from the 3-point line in the first half, allowing the Gators to hang around.
The third quarter was a completely different story. The Sooners outscored Florida 27-7 in the third quarter to take full control of the game.
The Sooners rode that momentum to an 82-64 win, advancing to the SEC Tournament Quarterfinals. They will matchup with Florida at 1:30 p.m. Friday on ESPN.
It’s the seventh-consecutive win for the Sooners, who are now 24-6 on the season.
It was an impressive run after halftime for the Sooners, who opened the third quarter on a 14-2 run. The Sooners forced eight turnovers and held Florida to just 21% shooting in the quarter, while Zya Vann scored eight points to lead the offense.
The defense held firm in the fourth quarter. The Gators scored just 26 points on 32% shooting in the second half.
Raegen Beers battled through early foul trouble to finish with a team-high 18 points and seven rebounds, playing a key role in OU’s 48 paint points. Aaliyah Chavez added 17 points, four rebounds and three assists. The Sooners won by 18 points despite shooting just 21% (4/19) from the 3-point line.
With the win, the Sooners increased their already-high odds of being a host site for the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA Selection committee had the Sooners as the No. 12 overall seed in Sunday’s latest bracket reveal, putting them in prime position for a top-16 seed.
Friday will mark the second matchup this season with LSU. The Tigers beat the Sooners, 91-72, last month in Norman.
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