Wednesday night’s SEC Tournament game against Georgia gave Porter Moser’s Sooners a prime opportunity to strengthen their résumé and all but secure their ticket to the Big Dance for the first time since 2021. A win would all but guarantee their spot, while a loss would likely still have them in but sweating on Selection Sunday.

At halftime, Oklahoma led Georgia 43 to 39, fueled by a scorching hot 10 for 18 (55.6%) shooting performance from deep. Yet, despite that shooting, the Sooners led by just four. Why? Turnovers, second chance points, and efficient shooting from the Bulldogs kept it close.

The second half was back and forth until a 14 to 0 run gave Oklahoma a 72 to 64 lead with 3:27 left to play. From there, they held on to secure a 81-75 victory that effectively punches their ticket to the field of 68 for the first time in Moser’s four year tenure.

Jeremiah Fears led the way, dropping 29 points and six rebounds on 8 for 16 shooting, including 4 for 7 from behind the arc. Jalon Moore added 14 points and five rebounds while going 4 for 5 from deep.

Let’s dive into the report card from Oklahoma’s third straight win:

In the first half, Jeremiah Fears caught fire, drilling three straight three-pointers. His performance mirrored Oklahoma’s overall first half — elite three-point shooting but too many turnovers.

Fears finished the half with 13 points on 4 for 6 shooting from the field, including 3 for 4 from deep, but also committed five turnovers. In the second half, he turned it up another level, scoring 16 points with zero turnovers while playing 18 minutes. He shot 4 for 10 from the field and went 7 for 10 at the free throw line.

By the final buzzer, Fears had totaled 29 points, six rebounds, three steals, and two assists on 8 for 16 shooting, including 4 for 7 from beyond the arc and 9 for 12 from the free throw line in 32 minutes of action. The true freshman stepped up in one of the biggest games of the season.

Mohamed Wague struggled with foul trouble against Texas, but he managed it much better against Georgia, committing zero fouls in 11 first half minutes. He played well too, totaling seven points, four rebounds, and three assists.

Fellow frontcourt member Jalon Moore also had a strong first half, scoring nine points and grabbing four rebounds on 3-6 shooting from the field and 3-4 from behind the arc. He finished the game with 14 points and five rebounds on 5-11 shooting overall and 4-5 from deep.

In the second half, Wague continued playing his best basketball of the season, making several key plays, including a crucial offensive rebound with less than a minute left. He finished with 12 points, nine rebounds, and four assists in a career high 28 minutes, shooting 4-7 from both the field and the free throw line.

The Sooners were red-hot from deep in the first half, knocking down 10 of their 19 attempts. Fears and Moore led the way with three apiece, while Kobe Elvis, Brycen Goodine, Duke Miles, and Dayton Forsythe each added one.

Their shooting cooled in the second half, with Fears and Moore being the only Sooners to connect from beyond the arc. As a team, they went just 2-7 (28.6%) from deep after halftime.

Still, Oklahoma finished the game 12-25 from three-point range, an impressive 48% shooting performance.

This win for Oklahoma sets up a rematch against Kentucky, a game that ended on a heated note involving Fears, Moore, and Kentucky’s Otega Oweh and Brandon Garrison. The showdown is set for Thursday night at 8:30 on SEC Network.

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