Oklahoma Sooners Women’s Basketball

Oklahoma Sooners survive Florida Gulf Coast upset bid to advance in NCAA Tournament

After trailing for all of the entirety of the first half, the Oklahoma Sooners rallied to beat Florida Gulf Coast 73-70 to advance.

In their opening-round matchup, the Oklahoma Sooners were put to the test by No. 12 seed and ASun champion Florida Gulf Coast.

Oklahoma fell behind in the first quarter by as much as 12 points and were down 10 after the first 10 minutes. But [autotag]Jennie Baranczyk[/autotag]’s squad responded with a big second quarter to trail by just two at halftime.

The Sooners shot it well in the first, but Florida Gulf Coast forced them into four turnovers, and the Eagles earned four offensive rebounds to keep the pressure on the No. 5 seed Oklahoma.

In the second quarter, the Sooners turned up the defensive pressure, holding the Eagles to just 26.7% shooting after they shot 47% in the first quarter. That defensive effort allowed Oklahoma to cut into the deficit.

Oklahoma’s dynamic forward duo [autotag]Skylar Vann[/autotag] and [autotag]Sahara Williams[/autotag] led the way with 10 points apiece.

The second half featured a back-and-forth affair with each team taking leads throughout the final 20 minutes.

Battling an injury, Vann continued her dynamic NCAA Tournament performance with 14 second-half points, including six fourth-quarter points and a free throw that gave OU a three-point lead in the final seconds of the game. [autotag]Payton Verhulst[/autotag] came up clutch with seven of her 11 points in the fourth, including what turned out to be the game-winner with under a minute to play.

For the game, Vann scored 24 points on 9 of 18 shooting to lead the way for the Sooners who had just three players in double figures in the win.

Florida Gulf Coast’s Emani Jefferson had a fantastic game, with 22 points and 12 rebounds to give the Sooners fits.

For the game, Oklahoma held Florida Gulf Coast to just 37% shooting and the Sooners only led for a total of 7:57 of game time.

The Sooners survived and now will take on the host Indiana Hoosiers in the round of 32 on Monday. Gametime is currently to be determined.

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Oklahoma Sooners open Big 12 tournament play with big win over TCU Horned Frogs

The Oklahoma Sooners led from start to finish in their 69-53 Big 12 tournament win over the TCU Horned Frogs.

It didn’t take long for the top-seeded Oklahoma Sooners to find their footing in the Big 12 tournament in their 69-53 win over the TCU Horned Frogs. The Sooners led from start to finish.

Oklahoma opened up a 10-point lead in the first quarter and pushed it to 12 early in the second quarter. But the Horned Frogs didn’t go quietly in the first half, closing the first 20 minutes of play down just five. TCU outscored the Sooners by four in the second frame.

[autotag]Lexy Keys[/autotag] led the Sooners in scoring in the first half, scoring nine points on three of three shooting from the three-point line. Aubrey Joens had five points in the first quarter.

It was a back-and-forth third quarter, and TCU even pulled within three points with just under two minutes to play in the quarter. But in the fourth, the Sooners began to pull away with a 17-11 final 10 minutes.

The Sooners had a fantastic game in the paint, outscoring the Frogs 30-14 and outrebounding TCU 46-35. Oklahoma shot 42% from the field and 42% from three while holding TCU to just 29% shooting from the field.

True freshman [autotag]Sahara Williams[/autotag] led Oklahoma in scoring for the game, with 17 points on 5 of 11 shooting. She was one of two from three and 6 of 6 from the free throw line. She turned it on in the second half with 13 points for the Sooners.

The Sooners move on to the semifinals of the Big 12 tournament, where they’ll take on Iowa State on Monday at 1:30 p.m. CT.

Jennie Baranczyk named Big 12 Coach of the Year, Skylar Vann Co-Player of the Year

Led by Jennie Baranczyk and Skylar Vann, several Sooners earn Big 12 women’s basketball regular season awards.

After a tremendous run in Big 12 play, several Sooners were honored with Big 12 regular season awards.

In her second year at Oklahoma, [autotag]Jennie Baranczyk[/autotag] was named Big 12 coach of the year after leading the Sooners to their second straight Big 12 regular season title. This after a 6-5 performance in the nonconference portion of the Sooners schedule.

The Sooners are the No. 1 seed in the Big 12 tournament and looking to make a statement as they push for a host seed in the NCAA tournament.

Oklahoma received a lot of big-time contributions this season and several players were honored with awards. [autotag]Skylar Vann[/autotag], who leads the Sooners in scoring and rebounds at 15 points and 7 rebounds a game, was named Big 12 Co-Player of the Year alongside Madison Booker of Texas. The Edmond, Okla. native at nine 20-point games in 2023-2024.

[autotag]Payton Verhulst[/autotag], who joined the Sooners after two seasons at Louisville, really came on strong in Big 12 play. Verhulst was second on the Sooners in points and rebounds. She earned Big 12 Newcomer of the Year honors after averaging 12.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. In Big 12 play, Verhulst scored 15 or more seven times, including a 25-point effort against Iowa State.

Oklahoma’s spark plug, [autotag]Neveah Tot[/autotag], earned a Big 12 honorable mention selection. As did Sooners’ freshman [autotag]Sahara Williams[/autotag].

The Oklahoma Sooners really came together during conference play, where they went 15-3 and picked up big wins over No. 2 Kansas State, swept Texas, and beat Baylor in a top-25 showdown. Oklahoma will wait to see who emerges from the early stages of the Big 12 tournament but have a great shot to take home the tournament title.

Oklahoma Sooners move up one spot in latest Women’s Basketball AP Poll

After beating Texas, the Sooners move up one spot to No. 19 in the latest Women’s Basketball AP Poll.

The Oklahoma Sooners prepare for the Big 12 tournament starting March 7 in Kansas City. The Sooners head into the tournament coming off of a big win over No. 3 Texas but were upset in Lawrence on the final day of the regular season.

Still, with a Big 12 regular season title in hand, OU is a threat to win the Big 12 tournament.

The win over Texas, more than the loss to Kansas, helped the Sooners rise one spot in the latest AP Top 25 to No. 19 in the nation. They’re the fourth highest-ranked Big 12 team behind Texas at No. 6, Kansas State at No. 16, and Baylor at No. 17.

Though they weren’t able to make a significant move this week in the poll, a strong showing in the Big 12 tournament could get them closer to the top 10.

The South Carolina Gamecocks head into tournament play as the unanimous No. 1 team in the nation.

Social media reacts to the Oklahoma Sooners Bedlam Basketball Sweep

Both the Oklahoma Sooners men’s and women’s basketball teams completed sweeps of Oklahoma State in Bedlam on Saturday and here’s how social media reacted.

It was a wonderful day to be a Sooner fan on Saturday. In addition to the displays put forth on the diamond by OU Baseball and Softball, the teams that call the hardwood home provided some memorable performances in Bedlam.

The OU Men’s team won in dramatic fashion on Javian McCollum’s buzzer-beating three-pointer in overtime. OU Women’s Bedlam win was a little less dramatic as Jennie Baranczyk and the Sooners cruised to a 35-point win in Norman.

Porter Moser hadn’t beaten Oklahoma State prior to this year and now he’s earned a sweep. Baranczyk, on the other hand, is 6-0 against the Cowgirls, who can’t wait for the OU Women’s team to be in the SEC and not a thorn in their side.

Freshman [autotag]Sahara Williams[/autotag] had a career-high 20 points to lead the Sooners, while [autotag]Lexi Keys[/autotag] became a part of NCAA history with her 1,000th career point.

Javian McCollum cemented his legacy with the buzzer-beater to win the game. It was a huge win that likely helped solidify Oklahoma’s spot in the NCAA tournament.

Here’s a look at some of the best reactions on social media from both the men’s and women’s outcomes.

Best Photos from the Oklahoma Sooners women’s basketball dominant Bedlam win

A look at some of the best photos from Oklahoma Women’s Bedlam domination of Oklahoma State.

On an afternoon when they celebrated 50 years of Oklahoma Sooners women’s basketball, Jennie Baranczyk’s squad put on a clinic.

The Sooners completed the Bedlam sweep with a 35-point domination of the Oklahoma State Cowgirls. In the process, Baranczyk moved to 6-0 against Oklahoma State and the Sooners are now 14-2 in Big 12 play and 20-7 overall.

True freshman [autotag]Sahara Williams[/autotag] had a career-high 20 points, and [autotag]Payton Verhulst[/autotag] continued her fantastic couple of months with a double-double. [autotag]Lexi Keys[/autotag] scored her 1,000th career point in college basketball on what turned out to be a historic day for the Sooners.

The Sooners were up by just eight at halftime and then proceeded to outscore the Cowgirls by 27 points in the second half to earn the win.

This sets up a Red River Rivalry rematch that could decide the Big 12 championship on Wednesday. If the Sooners win, they’ll clinch an outright Big 12 title. If Texas wins, it’ll all come down to Saturday where Oklahoma could earn at least a share of the conference title with a win over Kansas.

Here are some of the best photos from the Oklahoma Sooners win over the Oklahoma State Cowgirls in Bedlam.

Sooners Roll: Best Photos from Oklahoma Women’s win over Baylor

The Oklahoma Sooners picked up another big win and here are some of the best photos from their performance against Baylor.

Few teams are playing better basketball right now than the Oklahoma Sooners women’s team. With their 84-73 win over the Baylor Bears, they moved to 12-1 in Big 12 play and 18-6 on the season.

The win over Baylor saw five Sooners score in double figures. [autotag]Kiersten Johnson[/autotag] led the way with a career-high 20 points. [autotag]Payton Verhulst[/autotag] added 16, [autotag]Nevaeh Tot [/autotag]and [autotag]Sahara Williams[/autotag] chipped in 14, and despite some foul trouble, Skylar Vann rallied with eight points in the fourth quarter to help the Sooners seal the win.

The Sooners earned the 11-point win despite shooting just 24.8% from three-point range. The win came in large part due to Oklahoma’s defense. They held the Bears to 36.8% from the field and forced 17 turnovers.

Now, after Kansas State’s loss to Iowa State Wednesday night, the Sooners sit two games up in the regular season conference title race with five games to go. They’ll have their challenges, but with the way Jennie Baranczyk has her team playing, it’s hard to imagine the Oklahoma Sooners not having success down the stretch.

Here’s a look at some of the best photos from the Oklahoma Sooners win over the Baylor Bears.

More: Social media reacts to Oklahoma’s win over Baylor

Social media reacts to the Oklahoma Sooners win over the Baylor Bears

The Oklahoma Sooners women’s basketball team picked up a big win over Baylor on Wednesday night and here’s how social media reacted.

The Oklahoma Sooners moved to 12-1 in Big 12 play and 18-6 on the season. They’ve won nine in a row after beating the Baylor Bears 84-73 on Wednesday night.

It’s been as dramatic a turnaround as we’ve seen around here. Just before Big 12 play began, the Oklahoma Sooners lost to the Southern Jaguars out of the SWAC.

They’ve been a completely different team since that upset loss and have ascended to lead the Big 12 now by two games after Kansas State’s loss to Iowa State.

With the depth they’re playing with, [autotag]Jennie Baranczyk[/autotag] has a squad that could be set for a deep run. In their two previous tournament appearances, the Sooners were unable to advance out of the round of 32. But with the way they’re playing, they might be able to earn a top four seed and host the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament.

There are five games to go and the Big 12 tournament, but Oklahoma’s positioned itself well to make a deep run into March.

In the win over Baylor, five Oklahoma Sooners scored in double-figures, led by a career-high 20 points from [autotag]Kiersten Johnson[/autotag]. [autotag]Payton Verhulst[/autotag] stayed hot, filling up the box score with 16 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, and five blocks and a steal.

It was a strong win over a Baylor team that was ranked higher in the latest polls and here’s how social media reacted.

No. 23 Oklahoma Sooners knock off No. 21 Baylor Bears 84-73

The Oklahoma Sooners continued their strong march through Big 12 play with an 84-73 win over Baylor.

The Oklahoma Sooners have been on a roll of late and that continued Wednesday evening in their 84-73 win over the Baylor Lady Bears on Pink Night, raising breast cancer awareness.

The Sooners have now won nine straight and remain in sole possession of first place in the Big 12 with five games remaining. The Sooners are now 18-6 and 12-1 in Big 12 play.

Oklahoma received a big-time performance from [autotag]Kiersten Johnson[/autotag], who had a career-high 20 points in 22 minutes off the bench. She also added five rebounds, four assists, and three blocks to fill up the box score for the Sooners.

The game was 21-19 after one quarter, but in the second, Oklahoma used an 8-3 run late in the half to pull ahead by six going into halftime. That sparked a third quarter that was all Sooners.

OU led by 13 going into the fourth quarter and with Skylar Vann only contribution two points through the first three quarters.

The Sooners maintained their big lead for much of the fourth quarter, but just passed the midway point of the frame, Oklahoma began getting a little sloppy with the basketball and taking threes early in the shot clock that weren’t falling. With just under five minutes to play, the Bears pulled to within four, and the Sooners took control the rest of the way.

After Baylor pulled within a couple of possessions, the Sooners used a 6-0 run to reestablish a 10-point lead. The two sides traded threes to keep the margin double-digits and the Sooners kept the Bears at arms length for the final few minutes of the quarter.

Despite Vann’s sluggish start, she turned it on in the fourth with eight points to help Oklahoma close out the win.

Oklahoma had five players in double figures, led by Johnson. [autotag]Payton Verhulst[/autotag] continued her strong play of late with 16 points on 7 of 15 shooting. Verhulst added 11 rebounds and seven assists to nearly pull off the triple-double. [autotag]Neveah Tot[/autotag] was like lightning out there, using her speed to keep Baylor off-balance. She finished with 14 points on 5 of 10 shooting, dished out four assists, and came away with four steals. Freshman [autotag]Sahara Williams[/autotag] had a strong performance, putting up 14 points and six rebounds in the win.

Defensively, Oklahoma held Baylor under 40% shooting for the night, forced 17 turnovers and earned an edge in the rebounding department.

It was another strong team effort for [autotag]Jennie Baranczyk[/autotag]’s crew as the Sooners continue to establish themselves as the best in the Big 12.

Oklahoma has another top-25 matchup on the horizon, traveling to Morgantown this weekend to take on the No. 24 West Virginia Mountaineers.

Oklahoma Sooners Women move up one spot in latest AP Poll

The Oklahoma Sooners are rolling through Big 12 play and moved up one spot in the latest AP Poll.

The Oklahoma Sooners women’s basketball team is arguably the hottest in the country right now. They’re in the midst of an eight-game winning streak and are 11-1 in the Big 12.

Last week, they beat TCU and Iowa State by an average of 15.5 points per game. With their success since conference play began, the Sooners entered the AP Top 25 last week and then rose one spot to No. 23 in this week’s poll after their 2-0 week.

Though Oklahoma’s all alone in first place, they still have a lot to prove to the AP voters, who have Big 12 teams Texas, Kansas State, and Baylor ranked ahead of the first-place Sooners.

Oklahoma split the season series with Kansas State, beating the then No. 2 Wildcats. They also hold a win over the Texas Longhorns

Oklahoma will have a chance to make a statement this week when they take on No. 21 Baylor and No. 24 West Virginia.

RK	TEAM	REC	PTS	TREND
1	South Carolina (35)	23-0	875	–
2	Ohio State	21-3	821	+3
3	Stanford	22-3	788	+3
4	Iowa	22-3	726	-2
5	Texas	22-3	708	+2
6	NC State	21-3	703	-3
7	Kansas State	21-3	631	+1
8	Colorado	20-4	625	-4
9	UCLA	19-4	565	–
10	USC	17-4	555	–
11	Oregon State	20-3	514	+6
12	Virginia Tech	20-4	509	+4
13	LSU	21-4	472	–
14	Indiana	20-3	432	–
15	UConn	20-5	398	-4
16	Notre Dame	18-5	340	-4
17	Gonzaga	24-2	300	+2
18	Louisville	20-5	299	-3
19	Syracuse	20-4	223	+4
20	Creighton	20-3	200	+1
21	Baylor	18-5	172	-3
22	Utah	18-7	142	-2
23	Oklahoma	17-6	135	+1
24	West Virginia	20-3	85	-2
25	Princeton	18-3	71	–

Others receiving votes: UNLV 41, Fairfield 29, Saint Joseph’s 4, North Carolina 4, Duke 4, Tennessee 1, Mississippi State 1, Nebraska 1, Michigan State 1