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OU (8-3-1) lost 2-0 to No.12 South Carolina (9-1-2) at John Crain Field in Norman on Friday.

This loss marked OU’s first home defeat of the year, snapping an eight-game home winning streak that dated back to last season.

Here are three takeaways from the game:

Momentum shifts after halftime

In the first half, OU played aggressively and put a lot of pressure on South Carolina. OU’s defense, led by senior Cassie Clifton, kept the Gamecocks off the ball through strong headers and intercepted passes. As a result, South Carolina struggled to hold the ball for any length of time.

The Sooners kept the ball on South Carolina’s end, getting five shots and five corner kicks. However, they never bothered South Carolina’s goalkeeper Christina Tsaousis, who didn’t make a save in the first half. OU’s shots were often wide of the net, and when they did get a chance, South Carolina’s defenders were able to get in the way, clearing shots into OU’s backline.

The score was 0-0 at halftime, but when the second half began, the problems only became more apparent. The Sooners looked fatigued and struggled to create good chances. They took nine shots, only one of which was on target. Junior forward Naomi Clark, OU’s leading goalscorer, took six shots throughout the game, but couldn’t get any of them on target.

South Carolina’s Katie Shea scored the first goal in the 56th minute, followed 41 seconds later by a second from Taylor Bloom. After these two goals, the game swung decisively in South Carolina’s favor, as OU struggled to keep possession of the ball, in stark contrast to their first-half play.

OU couldn’t break South Carolina’s defense

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The center back combination of South Carolina defenders Gracie Falla and Taylor Bloom played a significant role in keeping OU scoreless. Falla, a 2024 All-SEC First Team defender, was all over the pitch, clearing chances and preventing OU from getting any shots towards the center of the box. 

Bloom played just as well and was a contributor on the offensive end, as she scored South Carolina’s 2nd goal on a header. The two defenders played a large role in preventing OU from capitalizing on their nine corner kicks during the game.

Deja vu for OU

OU’s game against South Carolina played out similarly to their previous game, a 3-0 loss to Vanderbilt. Both games were a 0-0 draw at halftime, before two quick goals from the Sooners’ opponents left them on the back foot. OU did a better job of creating opportunities than they did against Vanderbilt, but they did a worse job of converting on them. South Carolina’s goalkeeper had to make fewer saves than Vanderbilt’s, despite OU taking nine more shots against the Gamecocks.

OU is yet to score a goal in the first half over the four games they’ve played against SEC competition, and the loss to South Carolina marks their second straight loss to a ranked opponent.

The Sooners will look to bounce back against Alabama (8-3-1) at 7 p.m. on Thursday in Tuscaloosa.