Tag: aubrey joens

Oklahoma Sooners have record breaking day in win over Western Carolina

The Oklahoma Sooners set a program record for points in their win over Western Carolina.

It was field trip day for the Oklahoma Sooners at the Lloyd Noble Center. And they put on a show for those in attendance. The Sooners beat Western Carolina 122 to 56 to move to 3-0 on the season.

It was a big day for the Sooners, who continue to light up the scoreboard and put forth fantastic defensive efforts. Through three games, OU hasn’t allowed an opponent to score more than 56 points in a game this season.

Here are three takeaways from Oklahoma’s 122-56 win over Western Carolina.

1. Setting Records

The Oklahoma Sooners have been on a tear at the offensive end of the floor. On Wednesday morning, they kept it rolling, setting a new program record for points in a game at 122. That surpasses the former record of 121 points from 2007 and 1990.

Oklahoma’s 66-point margin of victory is the largest under Jennie Baranczyk and the fifth-largest margin of victory in Sooner’s history.

The Sooners shot an incredible 63.2% from the field. After struggling from three-point range for the first couple of games, OU came to life from deep in this one, hitting 50% of their threes in the win. They were 7 of 8 in the second half from three.

The Sooners have increased their scoring output in each of their three games and are now averaging 97.67 points per game this season.

2. Raegan Beers dominates

The reigning AP National and SEC Player of the Week had another fantastic performance for the Sooners against Western Carolina. Raegan Beers was 12 of 14 from the field and scored 27 points in the win. She had nine rebounds, including five offensive boards.

Beers has been dominant to start the season for the Sooners and her presence opens everything else up for the rest of the offense.

3. Three ball comes to life

Even though the Oklahoma Sooners were dominant in their opening pair of victories, they struggled to get their three-point stroke going. It looked like it was going to be another rough outing after starting out 3 of 10 from three in the first half. But the Sooners turned it around in the second 20 minutes, hitting 7 of 8 from downtown.

Lexy Keys and Aubrey Joens each went 3-for-3 from three.

If the Sooners can hit from deep on a regular basis, they’ll be incredibly tough to defend this season.

What’s Next for Oklahoma

The Sooners are now 3-0 on the season and sit at No. 9 in this week’s USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll. They’ll have a week off before they go on the road to take on Wichita State on Tuesday, November 19.

How to watch, key players for Oklahoma Women’s Basketball vs. Kansas Jayhawks

The Sooner women’s basketball team is on a roll and here is how you can check out their next game vs. the Kansas Jayhawks.

The Oklahoma Sooners men’s basketball team has gotten all of the talk but the women’s team is on an absolute heater right now. After finishing nonconference play with a subpar 6-5 record, the Sooners are 6-1 in Big 12 play.

They are currently in sole possession of second place in the conference. They are also coming off a massive win on the road at No. 11 Texas Longhorns. Now, they are preparing to take on the Kansas Jayhawks who are currently 10-9 (3-5) but they are coming off a win at home vs. the Iowa State Cyclones.

So, let’s take a look at how you can watch the game as well as some key players for both teams.

How to watch, key players for Oklahoma Women’s Basketball vs. Texas Tech Lady Raiders

The Oklahoma Women’s basketball team is also back in action. They take on the Texas Tech Lady Raiders Saturday afternoon.

The Oklahoma Sooners women’s basketball team hit a little bit of a rough spot to end nonconference play but have bounced back nicely to open up Big 12 play. After three straight wins, however, they lost to the No. 12 ranked [autotag]Kansas State Wildcats[/autotag].

They could never get their offense going, shooting just 27.1% from the field and 25% from the three-point line. They also turned it over 13 times.

Now, they head back home to Norman, Okla. to take on the [autotag]Texas Tech Lady Raiders[/autotag]. Texas Tech is currently 2-2 in conference play, losing their last one to the [autotag]Oklahoma State Cowgirls[/autotag].

Let’s take a look at how you can watch the game and some key players to watch.

How to watch, key players for Oklahoma Women’s Basketball vs. Cincinnati

The Sooners women’s basketball team is back in action vs. conference foe, Cincinnati. Here is how you can watch the game.

After a tough month of December where the Oklahoma Sooners women’s basketball team lost three out of five games, the Sooners have bounced back with two straight conference wins over new conference foes the UCF Knights and the BYU Cougars.

But can they keep that going against another new opponent, the Cincinnati Bearcats in Norman? The Sooners started the season 5-0 but have since been 3-5. The Bearcats are also 8-5 but are 0-2 in conference play with losses to the Kansas State Wildcats and the West Virginia Mountaineers.

Let’s take a quick look at how you can watch the game, some key players and who some future opponents are for the Sooners.

5 takeaways from the Oklahoma Sooners win over Wichita State

The first quarter didn’t go as planned, but the Sooners rallied for a 24 point win over Wichita State in their season opener. Here are 5 takeaways.

The Oklahoma Sooners started their 2023-2024 campaign with a 92-68 win over the Wichita State Shockers.

After a sloppy first quarter, the Sooners were down after the first 10 minutes and tied at halftime with the Shockers. But in the second half, it was all Oklahoma.

The bench came up big and the Sooners took better care of the ball after halftime to run away with the win in their season opener.

Here are five takeaways from the Sooners win over Wichita State.

Oklahoma Sooners advance in Women’s NCAA Tournament with 85-63 win over Portland

5 Sooners score in double figures as Oklahoma beats Portland to advance in Women’s NCAA Tournament.

It was a hard-fought contest for the first 20 minutes of game time as the Oklahoma Sooners took on Portland in the opening round of the Women’s NCAA tournament.

Portland, the WCC tournament champs, jumped out to a 5-2 lead early in the game, but the Sooners were able to tie it up on a [autotag]Taylor Robertson[/autotag] three-pointer.

That launched the Sooners on an 18-6 run to take a 20-11 lead with just under four minutes to play in the first quarter. Portland fought back over the final few minutes, going on a run of their own to close the quarter trailing by only six.

The Oklahoma Sooners were locked in a physical contest against a game Pilots team. Neither side could gain much of an advantage in the second quarter, but Portland did outscore the Sooners 13-12 in the quarter to trail by five heading into halftime.

The second half was all Sooners.

Though Portland cut the lead to three early in the second half, the Sooners went on a 13-4 run to lead 52-40 midway through the third quarter. Oklahoma kept the pressure up on both sides of the court to continue building on their lead. Heading into the fourth, Oklahoma led by 16, and that was all she wrote.

Five Oklahoma Sooners scored in double-figures, led by 14 a piece from [autotag]Taylor Robertson[/autotag] and [autotag]Aubrey Joens[/autotag]. [autotag]Madi Williams[/autotag] had 13, and [autotag]Ana Llanusa[/autotag] and [autotag]Skylar Vann[/autotag] each chipped in 11 points.

Robertson was 4-of-5 shooting on the evening and 3-of-3 from three-point range. Coming off the bench, Joens shot 4-of-9 and 2-of-5 from three to go along with two rebounds, three assists, and four steals.

Vann posted 11 rebounds for a double-double off the bench. [autotag]Liz Scott[/autotag] had nine points and 12 rebounds, including seven offensive boards, to lead the Sooners on the glass.

The Sooners did a nice job defensively, limiting Portland to 37.7% shooting and just 15.8% from three. Oklahoma forced 18 turnovers, collected 11 steals, and 20 offensive rebounds.

Oklahoma now awaits the winner of the opening-round contest between UCLA and Sacramento State for a shot at the Sweet 16.

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Juniors Skylar Vann and Aubrey Joens give Sooners a boost off the bench

Juniors Skylar Vann and Aubrey Joens give the Sooners a boost off the bench in Oklahoma’s win over TCU in the Big 12 tournament.

The Oklahoma Sooners will be losing three important pieces after the season is complete. [autotag]Madi Wiliams[/autotag], [autotag]Taylor Robertson[/autotag], and [autotag]Ana Llanusa[/autotag] have one more opportunity to take Oklahoma on a deep postseason run.

Those three have been key to the Sooners’ 2022-2023 season. But last night’s win over TCU put on display what life will look like without their three seniors.

[autotag]Skylar Vann[/autotag] came up clutch again, pouring in 21 points off the bench, including the game-winner in the final seconds. Also playing in a reserve role, [autotag]Aubrey Joens[/autotag], the Iowa State transfer, chipped in 15 points for the Sooners.

After the Sooners fell behind in the first quarter, Joens contributed 10 points in the second on 4 of 4 shooting, including 2 of 2 from three. That gave the Sooners the boost they needed to turn a three-point first quarter deficit into a five-point halftime lead.

The fourth quarter has become Skylar Vann time in recent weeks, and she came through again in the win over TCU. Vann was 5 of 6 from the field (her only miss a deep three), and was dominant in the paint. 10 of her 21 points came in the fourth, with all 10 points coming in the final 6:31 of the game. Vann scored each of Oklahoma’s final six points to get the win.

“You’ve got to be willing to take that shot,” head coach Jennie Baranczyk said after the win. “You’ve got to be willing to make it. You’ve got to be willing to miss it. You’ve got to be willing to pay the consequences. Sky is. You can see that in her eyes that she wants that.”

Clutchness defined.

Vann and Joens combined for 36 points in the win. Oklahoma’s starting five scored just 32 points. They’re only juniors. Key pieces to the Sooners rotation this season, they’ll take on even bigger roles next year with talent leaving Norman.

The Sooners have a deep roster. Several players that can fill up the box score. They needed every bit of what Skylar Vann and Aubrey Joens provided off the bench on Friday night. For the Sooners to win the Big 12 tournament and go deep in the NCAA tournament, Vann and Joens will have to continue to provide a spark off the bench.

And everytime they check into the game, the Sooners display they’ll be in great hands even as they lose their talented group of seniors.

Sooners top TCU on Skylar Vann score in final seconds, advance in Big 12 tournament

Skylar Vann’s bucket with just seconds remaining gave the Oklahoma Sooners a 77-76 win over TCU to advance in the Big 12 tournament.

[autotag]Skylar Vann[/autotag] has been clutch for the Oklahoma Sooners in recent games, such as the Sooners’ win over Kansas State last week. The Big 12 sixth player of the year came through again in crunch time for Oklahoma to beat the TCU Horned Frogs in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament.

Trailing by one after TCU’s Lucy Ibeh put the Horned Frogs ahead with a layup of her own, the Sooners had one last chance to move on. Inbounding with 4.8 seconds on the clock, [autotag]Taylor Robertson[/autotag] found Vann deep in the paint. With a crisp pass and a clean catch, Vann used her strong post game to score with the left hand to give the Sooners the 77-76 win.

Vann led the Sooners with 21 points off the bench in 19 minutes. She was 9 of 13 from the field and provided Oklahoma’s final six points in the game.

TCU started the game strong, looking to upset the Big 12 regular season champion. The Horned Frogs opened up a 10-point lead midway through the first quarter, but the Sooners closed the opening frame on a 15-8 run to trail by only three heading into the second.

The Sooners were fantastic in the second, taking control of the game, outscoring TCU 16-8. Oklahoma continued their strong play in the third, taking an 11-point lead with five minutes to go in the third.

TCU battled back in the fourth to put the pressure on the Sooners. Oklahoma led by three with just over a minute to play, but TCU’s Ibeh hit consecutive layups to give the Horned Frogs the lead, setting the stage for Skylar Vann’s heroics.

“You’ve got to be willing to take that shot,” head coach Jennie Baranczyk said after the win. “You’ve got to be willing to make it. You’ve got to be willing to miss it. You’ve got to be willing to pay the consequences. Sky is. You can see that in her eyes that she wants that.”

And she’s wanted to be in those moments, and Vann has come through in those moments down the stretch. She’s proven to be a big-time player that can come through in big-time moments.

Taylor Robertson was 5 of 6 from three and scored 17 points, and Aubrey Joens scored 15 off the bench to help support an incredible effort from Vann. The Sooners now get set to face the Iowa State Cyclones, who topped the Baylor Bears. The game is scheduled to tip off at 2:30 p.m. C.T.

Here’s a look at how social media reacted to the Sooners’ win.

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 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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Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.