South Carolina was defeated by Oklahoma 86-74 in the opening round of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Tournament on March 12. The game took place in Nashville, Tennessee.
The loss means South Carolina ends its season with a record of 13-19, while Oklahoma advances to face Texas A&M in the next round. The result is significant as it marks the conclusion of South Carolina’s campaign and highlights key performances from both teams.
Oklahoma’s Nijel Pack led all scorers with 24 points, making five out of ten attempts from three-point range. His teammates Derrion Reid, Tae Davis, and Xzayvier Brown also contributed significantly, scoring 20, 18, and 14 points respectively. As a team, Oklahoma shot an efficient 60 percent from the field.
For South Carolina, Kobe Knox scored a team-high 20 points in his final game for the Gamecocks. Mike Sharavjamts added 19 points and eight rebounds, while Meechie Johnson finished with 14 points along with seven rebounds and four assists. Johnson ended his season with an average of 17.2 points per game and concluded his career at South Carolina ranked nineteenth on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,395 career points over three seasons.
South Carolina started strong and built a ten-point lead early in the first half but could not maintain momentum as Oklahoma closed the gap before halftime and pulled ahead after the break. The Gamecocks’ shooting percentage dropped sharply in the second half; they made just three out of fourteen three-point attempts after hitting eight out of fifteen in the first half.
The outcome reflects both teams’ efforts throughout their seasons and sets up Oklahoma for its next challenge against Texas A&M.
