2022-2023 Oklahoma Women’s Basketball – Page 2

Oklahoma Sooners survive Kansas State upset bid in overtime 90-86

Skylar Vann’s last-second layup forced overtime, and the Sooners never trailed in the extra period to stave off Kansas State’s upset bid.

After the first 10 minutes of play, it looked like the Oklahoma Sooners were going to run away with a blowout win over the Kansas State Wildcats. K-State had different plans, putting Oklahoma on the ropes in the second half.

It took a last-second lay-up from [autotag]Skylar Vann[/autotag] in the final seconds of regulation to force overtime. The Sooners took control and were able to hang on for the four-point win.

Oklahoma led 24-8 after the first quarter of play and led by as many as 22 in the first half. They were in complete control as the Wildcats struggled to find their shooting stroke in the game. Whatever happened at halftime lit a fire and Kansas State looked like a completely different basketball team.

They were phenomenal from three and forced the Sooners to turn the ball over an uncharacteristic amount. When it came down to the wire, however, the Sooners were clutch.

Oklahoma trailed by four after Jaelyn Glenn made a pair of free throws to put the Wildcats up 77-73. Madi Williams cut the lead to two and then two again with a free throw to make it 78-76. Serena Sundell, who had a career-high in for the Wildcats, missed both free throws to give Oklahoma a shot in the final seconds of regulation.

With just under five seconds left, [autotag]Madi Williams[/autotag] found Vann darting toward the basket for a perfect connection and a perfect finish at the rim to tie it up with one second remaining.

Sooners send it into 𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘 ⏱️@madi_wms 🤝 @skyvannatic #NCAAWBB x 🎥ESPN+ / @OU_WBBall

pic.twitter.com/l7r4ctRJbM

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) March 2, 2023

In the overtime period, [autotag]Taylor Robertson[/autotag] got the scoring going with her fifth three of the night. Oklahoma would lead the rest of the game to come up with a win that brings them back into a tie for first place with the Texas Longhorns.

Skylar Vann led the way with 23 points off the bench, including the game-tying bucket at the end of regulation and six in overtime. Madi Williams had 19 points, seven rebounds, and two assists on senior night for the Sooners.

Fellow seniors Taylor Robertson and [autotag]Liz Scott[/autotag] also scored in double figures. Robertson was 5 of 11 from three for 15 points, and Scott had 11 points on 4 of 8 shooting. Williams, Robertson, and Scott came up big in what could be their final game at the Lloyd Noble Center. There’s a chance Oklahoma could host the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament, depending on how Saturday’s matchup in Bedlam and the Big 12 tournament go.

Regardless of what happens next, this was a clutch win for the Oklahoma Sooners that proved they’re ready for the challenges that await them in the postseason.

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Oklahoma Sooners can’t hang with Big 12’s best defense

Saturday at the Lloyd Noble Center, the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns faced off in a battle to be the Big 12’s best. The two teams were tied atop the Big 12 standings and looking to take a significant step toward securing a Big 12 regular season title.

Oklahoma came into the game with the best offense in the Big 12 and the second-best scoring offense in the country. Texas boasted the Big 12’s best defense. And ultimately, it was Texas that had the better day.

“Texas played really, really well,” OU head coach Jennie Baranczyk said. “They’re a very good basketball team, and we definitely weren’t (today). We will look in the mirror, me first, and be better.”

Texas’ defense created a frustrating environment for the Sooners and midway through the third quarter the Longhorns took control. Texas held Oklahoma to 27.3% shooting and just 22 points in the second half.

The Sooners will have to get back to the drawing board and figure out what went wrong. There’s a good chance they’ll see Texas again and will need to have better answers for their defense.

“I feel like we just were not ready, especially offensively,” Baranczyk said. “We’re going to go one of two directions right now. … I think we’re going to go in the right direction. But we’ve got choices to make, and we’ve got to be able to choose to respond how we want to respond.”

Best photos from Oklahoma’s loss to Texas

Oklahoma Sooners offense stifled by Texas defense, lose 67-45

The Oklahoma Sooners shot just 27.3% from the field against the best defense in the Big 12 in their 67-45 loss to the Texas Longhorns.

It was a big-time basketball environment on Saturday afternoon as the top two teams in the Big 12 met with first place on the line. As it was in the previous matchup, the Texas Longhorns defense was too much for the No. 2 scoring offense in the country as the Sooners fell 67-45 in Norman.

It was a game that was closely contested and living up to the billing in the first half. Oklahoma and Texas traded leads through the first two quarters, but the Longhorns took a 27-23 lead into the break.

After halftime was a different story, though, as the Longhorns turned up the defensive pressure, and the Sooners had few answers. The Sooners were outscored 24-14 in the third quarter, and 16-8 in the fourth as the Horns slowed the game down.

Texas held the Sooners to an uncharacteristic 27.3% from the field and 14.3% from three. Oklahoma turned the ball over seven more times.

The Sooners finished with just one player in double-figures as Liz Scott led the way with 13 points. Scott was 4 of 10 from the field. The other Sooners’ starters were a combined 7 of 32 shooting.

Oklahoma still has a shot at the Big 12 regular season, but they’ll need some help along the way. The Sooners get back on the hardwood on March 1 against Kansas State before they close the season on March 4 at Oklahoma State.

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‘We as a community have to decide what we want’: Jennie Baranczyk calling for big Red River crowd

Ahead of Oklahoma’s big-time matchup with Texas on Saturday at the Lloyd Noble Center, coach Jennie Baranczyk is hoping for a big crowd.

The Oklahoma Sooners have a big-time matchup coming Saturday at 1 p.m. CT against the Texas Longhorns in a game that could decide the big 12 regular season title. A championship the Sooners haven’t won since 2009.

Oklahoma and Texas are tied atop the Big 12 standings with three games remaining. With everything on the line, head coach Jennie Baranczyk is laid down the challenge to pack the Lloyd Noble Center.

“But here’s the thing is that we as a state, we as a community have to decide what we want for women’s basketball here,” Baranczyk said when meeting with the media. “And I mean, you’re talking about the matchup, you’re talking about a rivalry, you’re talking about the senior class, you’re talking about what they’ve been able to do.

“It’s Saturday afternoon, and I know there’s high school playoffs. I understand that. And trust me, we’re following all those. But if you look at the top teams in the country, and you look at the attendance for women’s basketball, you know, we should have no less than eight to 10,000 people here.”

Coach Baranczyk is right. The top teams in the country are putting people in the stands. The No. 1 team in the nation and defending national champion South Carolina Gamecocks are averaging over 12,400 fans at their games. LSU, who is 25-1 on the season, had 15,000 fans in attendance for their win over Tennessee.

Oklahoma has the No. 2 scoring offense in the country with a deep and exciting group of players that can fill up the box score. Norman is home to college basketball’s all-time record holder for three-pointers made in a career, Taylor Robertson.

“They’re incredible,” Baranczyk said of her team. “They’re incredible people to come and watch, you know, they point to each other. They laugh, they work hard. You know, after the game, they’re going to sit there, and they’re going to give autographs to everybody. I mean, it takes a lot of time to be able to do that. And we want to be the best for this community that we possibly can.”

This team has been a lot of fun to watch this year. They play an open, uptempo style of basketball with players that can hit from the outside or drive the paint. And in less than two years’ time, Jennie Baranczyk has helped Oklahoma return to Big 12 title contention and has them on the verge of their second straight NCAA tournament appearance.

They’re a team worth the price of admission and a team worthy of having big crowds. Especially for a big game like the Sooners have on Saturday against the Texas Longhorns.

“But we need everybody,” Coach Baranczyk implored. “And we need a lot of people wearing in crimson this weekend. You can go white and okay, you just can’t wear orange or whatever color you want. And to be honest, that’s really the expectation. I feel like we’re really going to know what people think of women’s basketball in this state on Saturday afternoon at one o’clock.”

Tickets are $5. https://t.co/cH9WJYv1hK

— Locked on Sooners (@LockedOnSooners) February 25, 2023

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Sooners on verge of hosting in NCAA tournament in ESPN’s latest Bracketology

Oklahoma’s win streak has the Sooners in position to host the first two rounds of the Women’s NCAA tournament according to ESPN bracketology

The Oklahoma Sooners have been hot of late. After a two-game losing streak, the Sooners have rattled off six-straight wins to move up to No. 11 in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.

They’ve gone 3-0 on the road during the streak, including an emotional come-from-behind victory over the Baylor Bears. That was their second consecutive win over the Bears in Waco, the first time they’ve accomplished that in more than a decade.

The Sooners boast the No. 2 scoring offense in the country with three games remaining and are in a first-place tie with Texas in the Big 12.

The six-game winning streak has Oklahoma in a position to host the first two rounds of the Women’s NCAA Tournament, according to Charlie Creme’s latest bracketology for ESPN.

At the moment, Creme has the Sooners as a four-seed on one side of the Seattle region. Oklahoma would host Green Bay and then the winner of the matchup between Colorado and South Dakota State.

It would be big time for the Sooners to be able to host a couple of games early in the NCAA tournament.

After making the NCAA tournament in Jennie Baranczyk’s first season with the Sooners, Oklahoma’s taken another step in their progression.

The Sooners have a tough one coming up on Saturday against the Texas Longhorns. While each team will have a pair of games after the Red River Showdown in Norman, this one could be the deciding game in the Big 12 regular season title race.

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Oklahoma Sooners moving on up in latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

The Oklahoma Sooners move up to No. 11 in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll ahead of their Red River Showdown with the Texas Longhorns in Norman.

With three games remaining in the regular season, the Oklahoma Sooners are in position to capture their first regular season Big 12 title since 2008-2009. In the midst of a six-game winning streak, they look like a force to be reckoned with.

As the regular season draws to a close, Oklahoma is well-positioned to go on a run in the Big 12 tournament and could make some noise in the Women’s NCAA tournament.

In the latest USA TODAY Coaches Poll, the Sooners move up one spot to No. 11 in the nation. They’re the highest-ranked Big 12 team at this point in the season, and it’s the highest they’ve been ranked all year.

South Carolina tops the poll, receiving 31 out of a possible 32 first-place votes. The defending national champions are undefeated and will be the prohibitive favorite to win it all in March.

Indiana, Stanford, LSU, and UCONN round out the top five.

Oklahoma is joined in the poll by Iowa State at No. 19 and Texas at No. 20, while Oklahoma State and Baylor were among the teams that received votes in the poll.

It’s that match-up with Texas that looms large for the Sooners. They’ll face off in the second leg of the Red River Showdown on Saturday, Feb. 25, in Norman. If they can get a win over a Longhorns team that beat them by 20 the last time they played, Oklahoma will be in the driver’s seat to win the Big 12 outright.

The Sooners will face Kansas State at home and then go on the road to Stillwater to close out the regular season.

A look at the full USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.

Rank	Team	Record	Points	Change
1	South Carolina	27-0	799 (31)	NC
2	Indiana	26-1	768 (1)	NC
3	Stanford	26-3	726	NC
4	LSU	25-1	698	NC
5	UCONN	24-4	654	+1
6	Iowa	22-5	635	+1
7	Utah	24-3	589	-2
8	Maryland	22-5	587	NC
9	Virginia Tech	22-4	566	NC
10	Notre Dame	22-4	525	NC
11	Oklahoma	22-4	453	+1
12	Duke	23-4	429	-1
13	Ohio State	23-5	384	+1
14	Arizona	21-6	360	+4
15	Villanova	23-5	332	NC
16	UCLA	21-7	285	NC
17	Michigan	20-7	275	-4
18	Gonzaga	25-3	261	+1
19	Iowa State	17-7	204	+1
20	Texas	21-7	177	+2
21	UNC	19-8	168	-4
22	Colorado	22-6	123	-1
23	USF	24-5	120	NC
24	FGCU	26-3	60	+1
25	UNLV	25-2	55	-NC

Schools Dropped Out:

No. 24 NC State

Others receiving votes:

NC State 46; Florida State 42; Illinois 27; Southern California 13; South Dakota State 6; Oregon 6; Middle Tennessee St. 6; Massachusetts 6; Mississippi 5; Oklahoma State 4; Baylor 3; Marquette 1; Louisville 1; Cleveland St. 1.

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Sooners continue to move on up in ESPN’s latest Women’s Basketball Power Rankings

In the midst of a six-game winning streak, the Oklahoma Sooners have moved into the top 10 in ESPN’s Women’s Basketball Power Rankings.

After another win, [autotag]Jennie Baranczyk[/autotag]’s crew has won six straight and remains tied with the Texas Longhorns for first place in the Big 12.

It’s the Sooners’ longest win streak in the Big 12 since they won five in a row in the 2016-2017 and 2010-2011 seasons. The last time they won six straight Big 12 games was in the 2008-2009 season, which happens to be the last time the Sooners won a Big 12 title.

That year, [autotag]Sherri Coale[/autotag] led Oklahoma to a 15-1 record in the Big 12. They were 32-5 overall and advanced to the Final Four.

Could this year’s Sooners be destined for that kind of finish in 2023?

Over the last few weeks, the Sooners have risen considerably in ESPN’s women’s basketball power rankings. They rose a couple more spots and sit at No. 9.

Speaking of hot teams, the Sooners are it in the Big 12, as they also have won six in a row. This past week, they topped Texas Tech and Kansas. Oklahoma’s already good depth has gotten a boost from guard Aubrey Joens, who had a combined 35 points and 14 rebounds in the victories. The showdown for first place in the Big 12 comes this week when the Longhorns visit; both Texas and Oklahoma are 12-3 in league play. – M.A. Voepel, ESPN

[autotag]Aubrey Joens[/autotag] has been a revelation off the bench. She was considered a significant addition in the transfer portal last offseason but hadn’t made much of an impact. That’s changed. After leading the Sooners in scoring against Texas Tech, she provided a lift in 18 minutes off the bench against Kansas, shooting 5-of-10 from the field and 2-of-4 from three for 12 points in the win.

With Joens coming on strong, the Sooners have as many as six players that can score in double-figures. Getting her contributions off the bench is huge as the season reaches its late stage.

The two best teams in the Big 12 will meet on Saturday in a game that could very well determine the Big 12 regular season champion. Oklahoma will have two more games after that and Texas one, but their Saturday showdown will pit the best offense in the conference against the best defense in the conference.

The last time the two met, Texas picked up a 20-point win in Austin. The Sooners are hoping to return the favor and split the season series.

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Oklahoma Sooners continue dominant run in win over Texas Tech

The Oklahoma Sooners picked up another big win Wednesday night over Texas Tech and are rolling as they head into the final stretch.

Things couldn’t be going any better for the Oklahoma Sooners on the hardwood. They’ve won five in a row, including an emotional come-from-behind win in Waco over Baylor.

With the No. 2 offense in the country, the Sooners are a threat to anyone in the country and have a shot at winning the Big 12 regular season title. They’ve got a couple of tough matchups upcoming against Kansas and Texas, but if Oklahoma can keep their shooting touch going, they’ll be in a great spot to pick up their first regular season title in more than a decade.

As a team, they’re shooting 45.8% from the field this season and 35% from three. Oklahoma has four players averaging 11 points or more in 2022-2023.

If there’s an area in which the Oklahoma Sooners can improve over their final four games is on the defensive end of the floor. They might lead the conference in scoring but are also last in the Big 12 in scoring defense, allowing 76 points per game. Some of that is due to the pace in which the play. They’ve allowed the most field goal attempts per game but are also sixth in the Big 12 in field goal percentage allowed. Jennie Baranczyk has the Sooners No. 5 in scoring differential this season.

Oklahoma has a chance to make a statement over the next week and a half and earn a top four seed in the NCAA tournament come March Madness.

Oklahoma Sooners keep winning streak going, beat Texas Tech 84-57

The Oklahoma Sooners jumped out to a 12-point lead and never looked back as they defeated Texas Tech 84-57 to extend their win streak to 5 games.

The Oklahoma Sooners jumped out to a 12-0 lead and never looked back in their matchup with the Texas Tech Lady Raiders on Wednesday night. The Sooners won their fifth game to move into a tie for first place in the Big 12 with the Texas Longhorns.

[autotag]Aubrey Joens[/autotag] led the way with 23 points and 11 rebounds off the bench. She was just one point shy of tying a career-high, which she set on Dec. 5, 2021 against Longwood when she was still with Iowa State.

Oklahoma never trailed in this one and, at one point in time, had a lead as large as 28 points.

In the early going, it was [autotag]Ana Llanusa[/autotag] and [autotag]Liz Scott[/autotag] who came out of the gate on fire to give the Sooners their quick 12-0 advantage in the first. Scott opened the scoring with a layup before Llanusa followed it up with back-to-back three-pointers. After Llanusa’s second three, she took the ball from Texas Tech’s Bre’Amber Scott and found Liz Scott for the layup.

On Tech’s next possession, Llanusa stole the ball again. After her missed three, [autotag]Neveah Tot[/autotag] grabbed the offensive rebound and got the ball to Llanusa again, who found Scott for a second consecutive layup to make it 12-0.

Scott had 13 points, [autotag]Madi Williams[/autotag] chipped in 12, and Tot added 11 to give the Sooners four players in double-figures.

On the evening, the Sooners shot 48.6% from the field and 42.3% from three. They held the Lady Raiders to just 33.3% from the floor and 15.8% from beyond the arc.

It was another dominating performance in a five-game winning streak where they’ve beaten their opponents by an average of 19.8 points per game.

The Sooners are now 21-4 overall and 11-3 in Big 12 play ahead of their Sunday matchup in Lawrence with the Kansas Jayhawks. The last time they played Kansas, the Sooners came away with a six-point win, led by Madi Williams’ 20 points and nine rebounds.

Then the Sooners will host the No. 17 Texas Longhorns on February 25 for what could decide the Big 12 regular season title.

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Oklahoma Sooners up 2 spots in latest ESPN Women’s Basketball Power Rankings

After big wins at Baylor and Kansas State last week, the Oklahoma Sooners moved up in ESPN’s latest Women’s Basketball Power Rankings.

The Oklahoma Sooners have bounced back from their two-game losing streak from a couple in a big way. They’ve now rattled off four-straight wins and earned a huge win on the road against Baylor in overtime last week.

They followed up the win over Baylor with another road win. This time it was a 17-point blowout over Kansas State in Manhattan. It was their 11th win this season by 15 or more points.

For their efforts, they’ve moved into the No. 5 seed in ESPN’s latest bracketology and No. 11 in their latest power rankings.

The Sooners had one of their most emotional victories of the season last week against Baylor, as they rallied in the final minute of regulation and won 98-92 in overtime. They followed with an 85-68 win against Kansas State to finish a good week on the road. Oklahoma has had five different players as leading scorers in the last five games. The Sooners lead the Big 12 in assists with 21.3 per game, including 26 and 27 this past week. At 10-3 and a game behind Texas in the Big 12, the Sooners are the only other team with a realistic chance of winning the league regular-season title. – M.A. Voepel, ESPN

The schedule sets up well for the Oklahoma Sooners to overtake the Longhorns. In their final five regular season games, which starts Wednesday night at home against Texas Tech, the Sooners play just one top-25 team. They’ll face the Texas Longhorns on Feb. 25 for what could determine the Big 12 regular season title. That is if the Sooners take care of business against a group of teams that they’ve gone 4-0 against already this season.

Jennie Baranczyk has the Sooners humming. They boast the No. 2 offense in the nation at 86.9 points per game, with four players averaging 10 or more points per game.

There will be challenges along the way, but the Oklahoma Sooners look to be a force to be reckoned with this March.

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