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.

Oklahoma City, Oklah. — A new investigative audit of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority is fueling renewed calls at the state Capitol for lawmakers to rein in an agency the state auditor says has operated “unrestrained and unchecked” for nearly 80 years.

The state auditor and inspector said the problems highlighted in the audit can only be solved by amending legislation.

Among the issues cited: “handpicked contractors naming their own prices,” according to the report’s findings.

The reaction is also coming from Pike Off OTA President Amy Cerato, who said she is filing two lawsuits against the OTA over the Southern Extension project, which she said would level more than 70 homes. “The Legislature has no excuse not to bring this up in session,” Cerato said.

Cerato said the larger issue is a lack of accountability in state law. “My problem is that we don’t have a state law to hold anybody accountable so they could say too bad too sad and keep going on for the next 70 years,” she said.

The state auditor said it is up to the Legislature to make changes.

State Sen. Mary Boren, a Democrat representing District 16, said she is willing to “continue to empower Oklahomans to hold their government accountable.”

Boren also warned about the potential cost to drivers if the agency remains unchecked. “The way it could be going, people could be paying $200 bucks a month to get to work on a toll road,” Boren said.

State Sen. Shane Jett, a Republican representing District 17, said the audit reflects a broader issue in state government. “There is a rampant problem of state agencies that have more sway and more influence on the legislative process than the taxpayers who are footing the bill,” Jett said.

Boren and Jett both voted yes on a bill authored by Lisa Standridge that would eliminate the transfer of property to a state agency taken by eminent domain.

Still, the lawmakers said change will not begin until some candidates serving on committees are voted out.

Jett urged people to run for office, pointing to upcoming filing dates. “If you are sick and tired of people representing state agencies or industries instead of taxpayers, well the filing deadline is April 1, 2, and 3. Run for office,” Jett said.

Boren echoed concerns about whose interests are being represented. “We have people that are there to stick up for Oklahomans, and we have people that are there to stick up for the people making a lot of money off of Oklahomans,” she said.

The state auditor said the audit took so long because of a backlog of investigative audits with 25% fewer employees.

The audit covers the last four years out of the last 79.

The OTA released a statement after the audit findings were revealed Wednesday.

“The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority would like to thank the State Auditor and Inspector’s office for their in-depth, extensive work on this first-of-its-kind investigative audit of the Authority. During the past three years, the auditor’s office has been inquisitive and intentional, learning as much about the OTA as possible to allow them to complete this investigative audit. While OTA has an annual financial audit conducted by an independent, nationally recognized firm, we were glad to collaborate with the State Auditor’s office for its examination of whether OTA complies with state law. OTA is pleased to have this independent confirmation that the agency follows all state statutes and there is no evidence of non-compliance with Oklahoma law. OTA will review the audit in more detail, and it is committed to considering how and where we can strengthen our policies and improve the documentation of our procedures and internal controls.”

ADDRESSING ENGINEERING CONTRACT SELECTION

“Even with the breadth and scale of construction programs like ACCESS Oklahoma, which is the largest reinvestment and expansion project in OTA’s history, we have been deliberate about keeping OTA staffing levels relatively flat. Instead, the Authority uses professional services contracts to procure engineering and construction management services through one of two lawful solicitation methods as allowed by Oklahoma Title 69-1708.2. OTA may use a project-specific solicitation focused on that individual project. OTA also may use an on-demand solicitation for specific types of professional services. This lawful and intentional administrative choice helps OTA keep construction costs at a minimum, manage changing project details, staffing capacity, and timing while still relying on a competitive, qualifications-based selection process. The method selected depends on project maturity, scope, and operational efficiency. It’s important to note that these contractors are selected by an internal review committee. This committee does not include the executive director, which was mistakenly stated Wednesday and incorrectly reflected in the audit report. As a matter of policy, that does not happen. We have policies and procedures in place to ensure that all work approved by OTA staff has been completed on time and on budget and to the highest standards of safety. We remain focused and committed on safely operating and maintaining Oklahoma’s turnpike system while responsibly managing infrastructure investments.”

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