Republican political strategists in Oklahoma have been in a rat race to finish the week as several mainstays of the state’s Republican party — and some without elected experience — top the charts for replacing Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who has been tapped to become the new Secretary of Homeland Security.

The choice begins with Governor Kevin Stitt. He will appoint someone to serve until a new senator is elected to a full term during the general election in the fall.

While a 2021 law requires an appointed senator to swear they will not file to run in the election, ignoring the law carries no real consequences.

Oklahoma’s billionaire owner of Continental Resources, Harold Hamm, is reportedly interested in the appointment. A source close to the Governor confirmed to News 9 a story first reported by NOTUS.org that Hamm called Stitt asking for the appointment.

Separately, NOTUS.org reports that Hamm called the White House about his ambition to get the appointment.

Representatives for Hamm did not return a call to News 9.

Another source told News 9 that Rep. Kevin Hern has begun calling close political allies and donors about his plan to enter the election, which has a filing deadline of April 3.

Rep. Stephanie Bice already posted to Facebook that she is exploring entering the race.

Political sources close to Governor Stitt also highlighted that he could appoint himself to the role — and run in the election.

Stitt has not commented on who exactly he plans to appoint.

Kansas State women’s basketball’s fairytale run will continue.

A day after rallying to keep their Big 12 Tournament run alive, the 12th-seeded Wildcats got hot in the fourth quarter to upset fifth-seeded Oklahoma State in a 74-73 quarterfinal win on Friday, March 6, at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

After Oklahoma State made a game-tying 3-pointer with five seconds left, it accidentally fouled Tess Heal with 1.3 seconds remaining, sending her to the line. She split her free throws, missing the backend, leading to a Cowboys miss on a desperation heave.

The Wildcats will play in Saturday’s 3 p.m. semifinal against the winner of Friday afternoon’s matchup between league-champion TCU and ninth-seeded BYU.

Kansas State got a special shooting performance from freshman Jordan Spieser, who showed why she was considered a five-star prospect, as she finished with 21 points and five made triples. After Oklahoma State cut the Wildats’ lead to two with 46 seconds left, Speiser made her final 3-pointer with 17 seconds left.

This came after the Wildcats went on a 9-0 run to overcome a four-point deficit with 4:41 left in the fourth. Taryn Sides’ layup with 1:48 left put the Wildcats up by five. Kansas State’s largest deficit was 13 points early in the third quarter.

The 5-seed Sooners used a 10-0 run to start the third quarter to pull away and beat the 12-seed Gators 82-64 in the second round of the SEC Tournament.

Massive Third Quarter

OU outscored Florida 27-7 in the third quarter to build a big lead before winning by 18. The Sooners started the quarter on a 10-oh run that was highlighted by an epic fast break bucket.

Beers Joins Elite Company

Oklahoma center Raegan Beers reached a historic milestone Thursday night in her 100th career start. The All-SEC standout became the third player in Oklahoma history—and the only active Division I player—to surpass 2,000 career points and 1,000 rebounds.

With the achievement, Beers joins legendary Sooners Courtney Paris (2,731 points, 2,032 rebounds) and Molly McGuire (2,147 points, 1,071 rebounds) in the exclusive club.

Beers now totals 2,003 points and 1,207 rebounds in a remarkable college career that includes two seasons at Oregon State and two at Oklahoma.

In the win over Florida, Beers had 18 points and seven rebounds.

Super Freshman

Freshman Aaliyah Chavez continued her impressive debut season on Thursday. The only freshman named to an All-SEC team this week, Chavez finished with 17 points, four rebounds and three assists.

She has now scored in double figures in 24 straight games, showcasing remarkable consistency in her first college season.

Chavez also went a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line, extending her SEC record for consecutive made free throws to 57. She now sits just two shy of the Oklahoma program record, currently held by Taylor Robertson.

Next Up

Oklahoma will face No. 6 LSU on Friday at approximately 1:30 p.m. CT on ESPN. The matchup marks a chance for the Sooners to respond after the Tigers handed them their largest loss of the season earlier this year. On Jan. 18, LSU defeated Oklahoma 91–72 in Norman, making Friday’s game a highly anticipated rematch.