NORMAN, Okla. — Aaliyah Chavez netted 15 of her total 26 points during overtime, leading No. 16 Oklahoma to a shocking 94-82 victory over No. 2 South Carolina on Thursday evening.
The freshman guard struggled with her shooting in regulation, hitting only 4 of 14 field goals, but excelled in overtime by making all 5 of her attempts.
Payton Verhulst contributed 19 points, while Raegan Beers recorded a double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds for the Sooners (15-4, 3-3 Southeastern Conference), who faced three consecutive losses against ranked teams Ole Miss, Kentucky, and LSU after climbing to No. 5 in the AP Top 25.
This victory marks the highest-ranked opponent Oklahoma has ever defeated, previously achieving a win against No. 2 Kansas State in 2024.
Tessa Johnson scored 19 points and Raven Johnson contributed 16 for South Carolina (19-2, 5-1), which saw its 12-game winning streak come to an end. Joyce Edwards, who was averaging 20.6 points, managed just 12 points on 3-for-12 shooting. The Gamecocks struggled, shooting only 37% from the field.
In the first half’s final moments, Oklahoma’s Caya Smith fouled Ta’Niya Latson on a 3-point attempt with 0.4 seconds left, allowing Latson to sink all three free throws for a 43-36 advantage at halftime.
The Sooners surged at the start of the second half with an 8-0 run, which included a three-point play and a 3-pointer from Chavez, taking a 44-43 lead. Oklahoma entered the fourth quarter ahead 61-59.
With just under four minutes left, Oklahoma led 73-67, but South Carolina responded with a 6-0 run to level the game. Edwards gave South Carolina a 75-73 lead with two free throws at the 42-second mark. Beers answered back with a putback to tie the game with 18.4 seconds remaining, setting the stage for overtime after Oklahoma secured a crucial defensive stop.
