OU women's basketball holds off No. 10 Texas in Red River Rivalry upset
AUSTIN, Texas — Skylar Vann had 19 points and 12 rebounds, Payton Verhulst scored 18 points and Oklahoma beat No. 10 Texas 91-87 on Wednesday night.
Texas (18-3, 5-3 Big 12), which trailed by as many as 13 in the third quarter, cut the deficit to one on a basket in the lane by Madison Booker with 59 seconds left. But Lexy Keys made a 3-pointer from the left corner 19 seconds later for Oklahoma, assisted by Nevaeh Tot.
Booker then banked in a 3-pointer with 7.2 seconds left, but Tot's free throw put the game out of reach.
“We're gonna enjoy this one,” OU coach Jennie Baranczyk said. “We've had some lows in our season (a 79-70 loss to Southern at home). We’ve had a roller coaster season. So if we’ve learned anything, we’ve learned that we need to just stay in the process.”
Keys scored 15 for the Sooners (12-6, 6-1). Tot made 10 of the Sooners' 21 assists without committing a turnover. The Sooners had just nine turnovers, half their average.
Booker, a freshman, scored a season-best 29 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter. Texas senior Shay Holle scored a career-high 22, converting 10 of 12 from the field.
Oklahoma (12-6, 6-1 Big 12) scored 18 of its 26 third-quarter points in the paint. Texas, after falling behind by 13, gave itself a chance with a five-point possession with 17 seconds left. Holle made a 3-point basket, and Taylor Jones, fouled on the play, added two free throws.
But Oklahoma quickly countered with a layup by Kiersten Johnson. Indeed, the Sooners always had an answer when Texas made a push. All five starters scored in double figures. Tot had 14 points, and Sahara Williams added 13.
“I feel like all five people on the court can score,” said Vann, who converted 7 of 9 from the field and all four of her free throws. “We're hard to guard. Against a good team like Texas, you've got to really be able to find each other and really be connected at tough moments like where we got at the end of the game.”
The Sooners often drove by Texas for close-in baskets or to set up 3-pointers. They hit 10 of 27 behind the arc.
“We didn't play very hard tonight,” Texas coach Vic Schaefer said. “So that's what happens against a good offensive team. They played with a real edge. I didn't have my team ready to go tonight.”
BIG PICTURE
Oklahoma: Vann, a senior, is a starter after receiving Big 12 sixth player of the year recognition the past two seasons as a top sub. She leads the Sooners with 14.9 points and 7.2 rebounds a game, both career bests.
Texas: The Longhorns played poorly on defense most of the game, repeatedly allowing Oklahoma open 3-point shots and close-in attempts in the lane. One sign of the leaky defense was that Texas induces 22 turnovers a game, but Oklahoma, which averages 18, committed just nine.
PLUGGING THE LEAGUE
The Big 12, which has seven men's teams in the AP Top 25, is widely regarded as the best conference in the country. Four women's teams are ranked: No. 4 Kansas State, No. 13 Baylor and No. 24 West Virginia in addition to Texas. Iowa State is 28th in votes.
“The men’s side gets so much attention and I think the women’s side deserves just as much attention in terms of just the parity in the league, the strength of the league," Baranczck said.
More: Texas women's basketball's Aaliyah Moore speaks out against effects of DEI ban
UP NEXT
Oklahoma: hosts Kansas on Saturday.
Texas: hosts Cincinnati on Saturday.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU women's basketball holds off No. 10 Texas in Red River upset
