No. 10 Oklahoma Overcomes Slow Start in Win Over Florida

The Sooners rallied late to defeat the Gators 81-74 and snap a two-game losing streak.

Feb. 13, 2026 at 1:23am

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The No. 10 Oklahoma Sooners overcame a sluggish first half to defeat the Florida Gators 81-74 on Thursday. OU trailed by 11 points at halftime but outscored Florida 55-37 in the second half to earn the victory and snap a two-game losing streak. Sophomore guard Zya Vann led the Sooners with 18 points, including 13 in the second half.

Why it matters

The win is crucial for Oklahoma, which is battling for a top-4 seed in the NCAA Tournament and the chance to host the first two rounds. The Sooners entered the game ranked No. 11 in the NET rankings and needed to bounce back after losing their previous two games against Vanderbilt and Texas.

The details

OU started the game on an 8-2 run but struggled for the rest of the first half, shooting just 28% from the field and 11% (1-of-9) on 3-pointers. Freshman guard Aaliyah Chavez scored only 2 points in the first 20 minutes. The Sooners also had foul trouble, with center Raegan Beers picking up two fouls in the first four minutes. However, Oklahoma was able to stay in the game by scoring 16 points off 17 Florida turnovers. In the second half, the Sooners caught fire, shooting 70% from the field and 63% from deep to rally back and take the lead in the final five minutes.

  • The Sooners entered Thursday's game on a two-game losing streak, having dropped games against Vanderbilt and Texas.
  • Oklahoma and Florida were tied 8-8 in the early going, but the Sooners then struggled for the rest of the first half.

The players

Zya Vann

A sophomore guard who led Oklahoma with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range. Vann scored 13 of her points in the second half to help the Sooners rally.

Raegan Beers

The Oklahoma center picked up two fouls in the first four minutes, forcing her to sit out the rest of the first half and contributing to the Sooners' struggles in the opening 20 minutes.

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What’s next

Oklahoma will next battle Alabama on the road on Sunday before taking on Georgia a few days later.

The takeaway

This win is a crucial bounce-back for Oklahoma, which is fighting for a top-4 seed and the chance to host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The Sooners showed resilience in overcoming their sluggish start to rally and defeat Florida, snapping their two-game losing streak in the process.