Oklahoma Men's Basketball Overcomes Early Deficit To Beat Georgia 94-78

NORMAN, Okla. - The Oklahoma Sooners delivered a dominant second-half performance to secure a convincing 94-78 victory over the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday, February 14, 2026, at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman. This win marked Oklahoma's second straight triumph in SEC play and highlighted their offensive firepower, sharp shooting, and resilient bench play.

Trailing 49-42 just two minutes into the second half, the Sooners unleashed an emphatic 18-0 run over a span of about 4:30 to seize control. This decisive burst flipped the momentum entirely, propelling OU to a 60-49 lead after a steal and layup by Dayton Forsythe with 13:37 remaining.

Georgia briefly stemmed the tide with a basket, but Oklahoma responded by scoring nine of the next 11 points, stretching the advantage to 69-53 with 11:33 left. The Sooners never looked back, maintaining a double-digit lead the rest of the way.

Oklahoma's second-half dominance was stark: they outscored Georgia 53-35 after the break. This reversed a troubling trend, as the Sooners had been outscored in the second half in 10 of their previous 11 games entering Saturday.

The home crowd at Lloyd Noble Center witnessed OU's best offensive output in conference play this season, with 94 points and a sizzling .589 (33-of-56) field goal percentage.

For the first time this season, three Oklahoma players reached at least 18 points. Senior Tae Davis paced the team with 19 points, going 7-for-10 from the field and 5-for-7 from the free-throw line. He added five rebounds and three assists, pouring in 15 of his points over the final 12:56 to anchor the late-game push.

Nijel Pack contributed 18 points on efficient shooting, including 4-for-6 from three-point range. He also grabbed a game-high six rebounds, dished out three assists, blocked a shot, and recorded a steal.

The breakout star was redshirt freshman reserve Kuol Atak, who tied a career high with six three-pointers on just seven attempts, finishing with 18 points. Atak has been lights-out at home, improving to 25-for-46 (54%) from beyond the arc in Lloyd Noble Center games this season. His hot shooting from deep was instrumental in the early momentum shifts and the decisive second-half run.

Oklahoma's bench erupted for a season-high 44 points, providing crucial depth. Dayton Forsythe came off the pine to score 13 points—his highest total since November 11—hitting four of six shots and all four free throws. He added three rebounds, three assists, and two steals in 20 turnover-free minutes. Forsythe has found his groove lately, totaling 37 points over the last four games after managing just 13 in his prior 10 outings.

Additional bench contributions included seven points from Kirill Elatontsev and six from Jadon Jones.The Sooners' perimeter attack was on fire, tying a season high with 14 three-pointers on 25 attempts (56%). They also limited mistakes, committing just seven turnovers—their 13th single-digit turnover game this season, the most since at least 1994-95.

Georgia (17-8, 5-7 SEC) started hot, making 15 of their first 17 field goals (88%) to build a 33-30 lead. They took a 43-41 halftime edge after an 18-10 run late in the first half, with Kuol Atak's fourth three-pointer just before the buzzer keeping it close. But the Bulldogs cooled dramatically, shooting just 15-for-41 (37%) the rest of the game despite finishing at 52% overall. This loss dropped them to five defeats in their last six outings.

With this victory, Oklahoma improved to 13-12 overall and 3-9 in the SEC, boosting their home record to 9-4.

UP NEXT: The Sooners head back on the road to face a tough Tennessee squad (17-7, 7-4 SEC) on Wednesday at 6 p.m. CT in Knoxville, televised on ESPN2. Building on this momentum—especially the second-half execution and bench production—could be key as they navigate the challenging SEC slate.

This performance showcased Oklahoma's potential when their shooting clicks and contributions come from multiple sources, turning a close game into a statement win at home.