Oklahoma melts down late, escapes with win over No. 15 Vanderbilt
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Oklahoma did everything in its power to lose what was once a 20-point game in Nashville on Saturday.
The Sooners led by 19 points with 3:38 to play in the game. Then the meltdown began. OU missed free throws, struggled to inbound the basketball, and turned the basketball over with the same frequency the band uses to deploy “Boomer Sooner.” As the screws tightened, guys on the court came unglued. With 25 seconds left, Oklahoma threw the ball away and gave Vandy possession with a chance to tie.
But No. 15 Vanderbilt couldn’t close. The Commodores turned it over on back-to-back possessions in the closing 30 seconds and fell to Oklahoma, 92-91.
The Sooners (12-12) earned just their second league win in 11 tries this season and ended a 9-game losing streak. The win was also OU’s first against an AP-ranked opponent since March 5, 2025, snapping a 5-game losing streak against ranked competition.
Xzayvier Brown led the way with 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting. He was 1 of 6 Sooners who scored at least 10 points. He was also the steady hand at the free throw line with 3 seconds remaining, knocking down a pair to put the Sooners up 4 and ice the win.
Tyler Tanner hit an uncontested 3 at the buzzer to produce the final scoreline. He scored 37 points to lead all scorers, making 10 of his 23 shots from the field and 14 of his 18 from the foul line.
Tanner was the catalyst for the Vandy offense at the end. He converted an and-1, a fast-break layup, a paint jumper, a pair of foul shots, and a pair of triples all in the final 2 minutes to claw the ‘Dores back into the game.
Over the game’s final 3 minutes, Oklahoma missed 5 free throws and turned it over 3 times. Vandy made its final 5 shots from the field and 8 of its final 9.
The Sooners have a week off between games to stabilize. They host Georgia on Feb. 14.
Vandy (19-4, 6-4 SEC) will head to Auburn next Tuesday.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
