SACRAMENTO — South Carolina had a message for Oklahoma on Saturday, and it was delivered before the opening three minutes were up.
The No. 1 seed Gamecocks dismantled the Sooners 94-68 at the Golden 1 Center, avenging their only regular-season conference loss of the year with a performance that was equal parts physical, purposeful, and personal.
Fast Start, Familiar Formula
South Carolina’s tournament blueprint has been unmistakable. A 15-0 run to open against Southern. A 13-0 burst to begin the Southern Cal game. On Saturday, it was a 10-0 explosion in less than three minutes against Oklahoma — and by the time the Sooners processed what was happening, the game was already slipping away.
The early statement carried extra weight. Oklahoma had handed South Carolina its only conference loss of the regular season back on January 22nd in Norman, a defeat the Gamecocks later admitted came from a place of mental and physical unpreparedness. They let the Sooners dictate the tempo that day. Saturday was a direct correction of that mistake — South Carolina came out determined to impose their will immediately, and never let up.
Madina Okot won the opening tip, and Ta’Niya Latson did the rest. A banked runner, a three-pointer on the very next possession, a Raven Johnson bucket, and three free throws from Latson later — South Carolina led 10-0 before Oklahoma could catch its breath.
Latson and Johnson Dismantle the Sooners
The former high school teammates put on a backcourt clinic that Oklahoma had no answer for. Latson was virtually unstoppable, finishing with a game-high 28 points on 7-of-11 shooting and a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line. She also added a team-high five assists while playing suffocating defense — 18 of those points came in the first half alone, before Oklahoma had any hope of adjusting.
Raven Johnson was equally relentless, pouring in 16 of her 18 points in the first half. Together, they set a tone that the rest of the roster built upon throughout the afternoon.
Containing Chavez, Controlling Beers
South Carolina’s defensive performance may have been the game’s most significant story. Aaliyah Chavez — who carved the Gamecocks up for 15 points in overtime during their January meeting — was held to a labored 8-of-21 shooting performance, going just 3-of-12 from three. She finished with 21 points, but the damage she inflicted in the first meeting never materialized. Raven Johnson and Agot Makeer made sure of it.
The interior matchup told an equally dramatic reversal story. Raegan Beers had dominated the first meeting, but Madina Okot and the South Carolina frontcourt reclaimed the paint entirely on Saturday. Beers managed 14 points and eight rebounds — respectable on paper, but a shadow of her earlier performance. Okot countered with nine points and 12 rebounds, imposing herself physically and erasing the damage Beers had done in Norman.
Tessa Closes the Door
When Oklahoma mounted a third-quarter push that threatened to make things interesting, Tessa Johnson answered. The junior poured in 11 of her 14 points in that quarter alone, effectively slamming the door on any Sooner momentum before it could build. It was another reminder of why her teammates call her Tournament Tessa — she doesn’t just perform in March, she performs in the moments that matter most within the game.
Makeer rounded out a balanced effort with 10 points and three assists, continuing her remarkable tournament run.
The Bigger Picture
This was South Carolina doing what great teams do — identifying what went wrong, studying it, and correcting it with precision when the stakes were highest. The loss to Oklahoma in January was a wake-up call. Saturday was the response.
The Gamecocks advance to the Elite Eight, where a familiar March stage awaits. Based on what they showed in Sacramento, they are playing their best basketball at exactly the right time.
