ATHENS, Ga. — In an impressive display, Georgia secured a 72-62 victory over No. 17 Oklahoma, marking their second straight win against a ranked opponent. Both Dakota Leffew and Asa Newell contributed significantly to the team’s score with 15 points each.
The Bulldogs, now with a record of 14-2 and 2-1 in the Southeastern Conference, had previously made headlines by defeating No. 6 Kentucky 82-69, asserting themselves in the competition and eyeing a spot in the Top 25 rankings. Meanwhile, Oklahoma, sitting at 13-3 and struggling with a 0-3 record in the SEC, faced their third consecutive defeat. Leading the Sooners in scoring was Jalon Moore, who notched 17 points, while teammates Duke Miles and Kobe Elvis chipped in with 14 points apiece.
Notably, Brycen Goodine, who had an outstanding 34 points in Oklahoma’s recent narrow loss to No. 10 Texas A&M, had a tough outing this time, managing just 3 points on 1 of 7 shooting from the field. The game coincided with the postponement of an NBA matchup between Atlanta and Houston due to winter weather, allowing Hawks guard Trae Young, a former Oklahoma player, to attend the game donning a crimson Sooners shirt.
In terms of critical moments, Oklahoma’s Moore was able to draw two free throws with just under two minutes remaining, narrowing Georgia’s lead to 65-60. However, he ultimately fouled out in the game’s closing minute, hampering the Sooners’ efforts to recover. On the defensive side, Georgia’s center, Somto Cyril, stood out by blocking four shots, including two pivotal stops against players Jeremiah Fears and Duke Miles, which helped the Bulldogs extend their lead from 58-54 to 63-54.
A key player for the Sooners, Elvis led the scoring at that point but had to sit out after receiving four fouls with 8:58 left in the game. Notably, he managed to avoid a fifth foul but did not score again for the remainder of the contest.
Georgia notably outscored Oklahoma on the bench, racking up 28 points compared to 13 for their opponents.
Looking ahead, Oklahoma is set to return home to face Texas on Wednesday night, while Georgia will face a challenging matchup against No. 1 Tennessee, continuing a streak of five consecutive games against ranked teams as they progress through their conference schedule.
