Nijel Pack ignited a furious second-half surge, allowing Oklahoma to claw back from a double-digit deficit, stunning South Carolina and keeping up their March Madness aspirations
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Oklahoma Sooners kept their postseason hopes alive with a gritty, come-from-behind victory in the opening round of the 2026 SEC Men's Basketball Tournament, defeating the South Carolina Gamecocks 86-74 on Wednesday night at Bridgestone Arena.
Nijel Pack led the charge for the 11th-seeded Sooners (now 18-14 overall), pouring in 24 points while going an efficient 5-for-10 from beyond the arc. The veteran guard, in what could be his final collegiate campaign after a six-year journey across programs, showcased his sharpshooting prowess and leadership to help Oklahoma overcome an early deficit and secure the upset.
Oklahoma's balanced attack proved decisive. Derrion Reid delivered 20 points on an impressive 6-of-8 shooting from the field, while Tae Davis added 18 points (7-of-10 shooting) and Xzayvier Brown chipped in 14 points (6-of-7 shooting).
The Sooners shot a scorching 60% from the floor overall (30-of-50), including strong performances in transition and in the paint during their decisive runs.
For the 14th-seeded South Carolina Gamecocks (13-19), Kobe Knox paced the scoring with 20 points, followed by Mike Sharavjamts with 19 and Meechie Johnson with 14. However, the Gamecocks struggled with consistency, converting just 41% of their shots (25-of-61) and failing to match Oklahoma's second-half intensity.
The game started promisingly for South Carolina, who jumped out to a 29-19 lead after the first 10 minutes, capitalizing on early energy and perimeter shooting. They extended their advantage to 39-28 after Knox drained a 3-pointer with 5:24 remaining in the first half. At that point, it appeared the Gamecocks might cruise to a statement win in their tournament opener.
But Oklahoma responded with resilience.
The Sooners closed the half on a powerful 14-3 run, clamping down defensively—holding South Carolina scoreless over the final 2:15—and knotting the score at 42-42 heading into the locker room. That momentum carried over into the second half, where Oklahoma exploded for a 13-5 edge in the opening five minutes, surging ahead 56-47.South Carolina briefly rallied, with Johnson's 3-pointer at the 10:52 mark cutting the deficit to 61-56, but the Gamecocks could never regain the lead.
Brown's timely 3-pointer with 7:53 left pushed the margin to 70-60, and Oklahoma maintained a comfortable double-digit advantage the rest of the way, pulling away down the stretch with superior execution and hot shooting.
This victory avenged an earlier regular-season loss to South Carolina and marked a critical step for the Sooners, who entered the tournament on the NCAA Tournament bubble after a strong late-season push, winning six of their last eight games.
ESPN's Joe Lunardi had previously emphasized that Oklahoma needed multiple wins in Nashville, ideally reaching Saturday, to bolster their at-large case. He even joked about giving up on fielding questions about the Sooners' bubble status for Lent.
By advancing past the first round, the Sooners have passed their initial test and now set their sights on a tougher challenge: sixth-seeded Texas A&M in Thursday's second-round matchup. A win there could propel them toward the quarterfinals against Arkansas, putting them in a prime position for an NCAA bid if they string together the upsets.
The road remains long and demanding in the competitive SEC Tournament, but this resilient performance—overcoming a 13-point deficit and dominating the latter stages—demonstrates the fight and capability within this Oklahoma squad.
With Pack leading the way and contributors stepping up across the board, the Sooners have given themselves a legitimate shot at extending their season beyond Nashville.
For a team that hovered near the cut line, every additional victory now carries massive weight in the selection committee's eyes.