South Carolina MBB bounces back with win over Oklahoma. What we learned

After not playing in Columbia in 10 days, South Carolina men’s basketball returned to Colonial Life Arena on Tuesday with a three-game losing streak over its head, including a tough loss to Georgia in its last home contest.

USC, tied for last place in the Southeastern Conference, was set to take on one of the teams it was tied with: an Oklahoma Sooners program making its first-ever visit to Columbia. A win would be a gasp of air and one step above the SEC’s depths. A loss would send the Gamecocks tumbling closer to rock-bottom.

South Carolina (11-8, 2-4 SEC) was able to avoid that tumble, taking down Oklahoma (11-8, 1-5 SEC) 85-76.

An above-average shooting night for the Gamecocks helped them evade the handful of runs the Sooners were able to put together and stay ahead to the final buzzer. Oklahoma never led in the game.

“I was happy for the guys,” USC coach Lamont Paris said. “They were really excited to get a good conference win. All of them are good wins against a talented team. And, yeah, just build some confidence for those guys as they move forward.

“They need those things. Everyone needs confidence. And these young people, they really thrive when they have confidence, and their confidence is attached to how they play, particularly offensively.”

Here are three takeaways from the win:

Bounce back start

In the first half Saturday against Auburn, USC scored 24 points on 25% from the floor and 16.7% on 3-pointers. Even as the Gamecocks finished the game with a 5 for 5 shooting stretch, the cold start helped keep Auburn ahead in the 71-67 USC loss.

The Gamecocks came out much hotter on offense Tuesday against the Sooners. USC shot 46.9% from the floor, 38.5% on 3-pointers and 100% on four free throw attempts, all above its season percentages. The team shot 20 total 3-point attempts, below its 27.4-per-game average.

“I didn’t even know that, because this team keeps shooting no matter what,” USC senior guard Meechie Johnson said with a laugh. “We’ve got a confident group. It’s unfortunate that we haven’t shot our best this year, but this is a confident group. ... It was one of those nights. Every game is played different. So you kind of just take what the defense gives you.”

USC led by as many as 14 points, but Oklahoma finished the first half by making eight of its final 10 shots to bring the score within one possession, 39-36.

The Gamecocks stayed hot in the second half, shooting 12 for 23 from the floor and 4 for 7 behind the arc. A big reason for USC’s offensive success was its ability to control the paint. The Gamecocks won the rebound battle (36-34) against the Sooners and tied their 34 points in the paint.

It also helps that Oklahoma shot the ball extremely poorly. The Sooners finished 5 for 27 from 3-point range.

Strong heats up again

Junior forward Elijah Strong dropped 30 points against LSU on Jan. 6 and has been quiet since, not scoring more than 10 points in the last three games.

The Boston College transfer came out hot again Tuesday night, making his first four shots before a miss. He finished the half with 15 points on 6 for 9 shooting and 3 for 4 on 3-pointers.

“I really have a ton of respect for Elijah Strong, and he came out and did what we were hoping he wouldn’t,” Oklahoma coach Porter Moser said. “It wasn’t even hope. It wasn’t unexpected. He can shoot. He can drive. We had to have way more resistance to start the game.”

Strong finished the game a bit passively, taking just five more shots and scoring two points in the second half. Kobe Knox and Johnson picked up the pace in his place, combining for 39 points on 14 for 25 shooting.

Walker earning minutes

As Paris cuts USC’s rotation to seven players getting significant minutes in a game, freshman forward EJ Walker has found himself on the right side of the bubble.

Since his first time taking the court, Walker has remained steady around 10 minutes per game, but has set career-highs for minutes played in the last two games. He played 19 minutes against the Sooners, recording four points and three rebounds.

“As older guys, I keep feeding him confidence, because in practice he rips down a lot of rebounds. Just gotta tell him, just to transfer that to the game. It’s nothing different,” Knox said. “He’s the same size as a lot of those seniors out there, so he can definitely be physical, and we keep telling be more and more physical, because he got a lot of potential. ... He keeps building on this, he’ll have good season and help us a lot this year.”

Walker, a three-star product out of Lloyd Memorial (Kentucky), initially began the year with plans for a redshirt, intending to sit out the season voluntarily while maintaining his year of eligibility. After beginning this season without much consistency from his front court, Paris and Walker agreed to burn his redshirt. Walker debuted Dec. 6 against Stetson.

South Carolina men’s basketball upcoming schedule

• Saturday: at Texas A&M, 3:30 p.m. (SEC Network)
• Jan. 28: vs. No. 16 Florida, 9 p.m. (SEC Network)
• Jan. 31: vs. LSU, 6 p.m. (SEC Network)
• Feb. 3: at Texas, 6 p.m. (SEC Network)

This story was originally published January 20, 2026 at 9:11 PM.