Freshman Jeremiah Fears scored 29 points and led a late run that lifted 14th-seeded Oklahoma to a 81-75 win over 11th-seed Georgia in the first round of the Southeastern Conference tournament on Wednesday in Nashville.The Sooners (20-12) strengthened their case to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021.Oklahoma will oppose sixth-seeded Kentucky in the second round on Thursday. The Sooners lost to the visiting Wildcats 83-82 on Feb. 26.The Bulldogs (20-12), who figure to be in the NCAAs for the first time since 2015, now await their tournament fate.Georgia led by six with more than eight minutes remaining on Blue Cain’s 3-pointer.However, the Bulldogs went nearly six minutes without scoring as Oklahoma ripped off 16 consecutive points — the first eight by Fears — to take control of the game.The Sooners got off to a hot start from beyond the arc, hitting 10 first-half 3-pointers, including three each from Fears and Jalon Moore. Duke Miles sank a 3-pointer on the Sooners’ opening possession.Fears hit all three of his first-half 3-pointers during a stretch of a little more than a minute midway through the period.But the game remained close — neither team led by more than six before the break — thanks in part to nine first-half turnovers by Oklahoma as well as 10 Bulldogs’ offensive rebounds before halftime.