Oklahoma's victory over Michigan State in the NCAA Tournament was obviously sweet after sending the Sooners back to the Sweet 16, but a postgame moment between seniors Raegan Beers and Payton Verhulst was even sweeter.
The No. 4 seed Sooners on Sunday night put together a comeback to beat the No. 5 Spartans 77-71 at Lloyd Noble Center in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The victory sent OU to the Sweet 16 for the second year in a row as the Sooners await Monday night's winner between No. 1 South Carolina and No. 9 USC.
Payton Verhulst shares what fans never see from Raegan Beers
The win also kept Beers and Verhulst's college careers going for at least another game, but no matter how far the Sooners go in March Madness, Sunday night was their last performance at Lloyd Noble Center. Beers made sure to soak in the moment after the game, which she was asked about during the postgame press conference and got emotional during her answer.
"Gratitude," Beers said as tears formed in her eyes. "I love this place. I love these people. It was fun to end it in LNC with this team. ...
"This is a really cool team. A coaching staff that has poured a lot into me for two years that I am so, so grateful for. And a team that has just loved on me since the minute I came last year and this year. They continue to develop you as people, and just as basketball players, which I really appreciate, so my off-court has gotten so much better just as much as my on-court, and so I appreciate that with Coach Jennie, and with the rest of this team, I'm just thankful for all of them."
Great moment postgame between Raegan Beers and Payton Verhulst as Beers got emotional about her last game at Lloyd Noble Center. pic.twitter.com/83hjrrb7eL
— Dekota Gregory (@dekotagregory) March 23, 2026
Beers, a 6-foot-4 center, transferred from Oregon State to OU ahead of last season and quickly became a staple for the women's basketball program during her two years in Norman. She's been named First-Team All-SEC and an All-America honorable mention both seasons.
In her last game at the LNC, Beers tallied her 67th career double-double, which leads all active women's basketball players, with 18 points and 14 rebounds. She also had four steals and two blocks on the defensive end.
It was evident the Sooners meant a lot to Beers, but she was also obviously an incredible addition to the program and has been a fan favorite, which her last name definitely helped with. But while sitting next to Beers as she bid farewell to Oklahoma, Verhulst, unprompted, shared what makes Beers so great in the ways fans and media don't even realize.
"And Raegan's just a really special teammate and person," Verhulst said. "Not even speaking about basketball. You guys get to write and see everything she does on the basketball court, but she's such a great person, and I genuinely mean that.
"She's one of the most selfless people I've ever met and ever played with, so I literally wish nothing but the best for her every single time she steps on the floor. And I know she's going to do great things in the future of basketball and just in her life in general."