NORMAN, Okla. — In a decisive performance, Jeremiah Fears scored 18 points to propel the No. 21 Oklahoma Sooners to a 76-61 victory over Georgia Tech during the SEC/ACC Challenge held on Tuesday night.
Jalon Moore contributed a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Kobe Elvis added 12 points to the mix. This matchup marked Oklahoma’s first contest since their triumphant entry into the AP Top 25 rankings after claiming victories over Providence, Arizona, and Louisville to win the Battle 4 Atlantis the previous week.
The Yellow Jackets were led by Jaeden Mustaf with 16 points and Lance Terry, who added 14 points. Duncan Powell also made a significant impact, recording 11 points alongside 12 rebounds for Georgia Tech (4-4). Unfortunately, Baye Ndongo, the team’s second-highest scorer and leading rebounder this season, was limited to just four points and four rebounds in 14 minutes due to foul trouble.
Georgia Tech surged to an early 17-6 lead before the Sooners slowly began to chip away at the deficit, closing the gap to 34-30 by halftime.
Oklahoma seized its first lead of the game less than three minutes into the second half, courtesy of a 3-pointer from Duke Mikes that put them ahead 37-34. A subsequent 3-pointer from Elvis extended their lead to 51-41 with approximately 11 minutes left on the clock.
In terms of takeaways, it was evident that the Sooners’ success at the free-throw line played a critical role, outscoring Georgia Tech 26-12 in that category, despite the two teams being quite evenly matched in other aspects of the game.
A pivotal moment occurred when Fears hit a short jumper and drew a foul from Ndongo, resulting in Ndongo’s fourth foul. Fears capitalized with a successful free throw, increasing Oklahoma’s lead to 42-36 with just under 15 minutes remaining.
One notable statistic was Georgia Tech’s struggle to find their shooting rhythm after halftime, as they failed to make a field goal until the 12:23 mark in the second half, missing their first eight attempts post-break.
Looking ahead, the Yellow Jackets will face North Carolina on Saturday, while the Sooners are set to host Alcorn State at McCasland Field House later that day.
