by (Photo by AC Media)
NORMAN – Skylar Vann scored 20 points, and Oklahoma posted 25 assists on 29 made field goals as the Sooners dispatched Texas Tech in Norman on Saturday, 73-55.
The win pushed Oklahoma (10-6, 4-1 Big 12) to 4-1 in Big 12 play for the third consecutive season and marked the Sooners’ third straight win over the Lady Raiders. The OU defense was stout once again, holding Texas Tech (13-5, 2-3 Big 12) to 55 points, marking the fourth time in five conference games that the Sooners have held their opponent to fewer than 65 points.
Vann and the Sooners set the tone early as the Edmond, Okla., product sunk a trio of 3-pointers in the first 3:41 of the game to give OU an early 14-4 lead and force a TTU timeout. The Lady Raiders steadied on both ends of the floor out of the break and were even with OU the rest of the frame as the Sooners held a 20-10 advantage after one. TTU scored nine unanswered to open the second quarter and held Oklahoma scoreless for the first 5:09 of the frame to make it 20-19, but OU dominated until the half as a pair of treys from Payton Verhulst and Lexy Keys sparked a 14-6 run as Oklahoma went to halftime up 34-25.
The Sooners were the better team from the jump out of the break, holding TTU to just two made field goals in the first five minutes of the second half as the OU lead ballooned to 14 points. Texas Tech got within nine at the 4:06 mark of the third, but the Sooners responded well offensively and took a 17-point lead into the fourth. In the final 10 minutes, OU’s lead grew to 20 points, and Baranczyk’s team never let the Lady Raiders get within single digits as OU claimed its largest conference margin of victory this season, an 18-point, 73-55 win.
Vann was the best player on the floor from the tip as the two-time Big 12 Sixth Player of the Year led Oklahoma in points (20) and assists (5) and posted five rebounds, one shy of sophomore Kiersten Johnson. Lexy Keys returned to form, scoring 15 points on a perfect five-of-five shooting performance that saw a trio of 3-pointers find the net. The guard from Tahlequah also added five assists and two steals in the win. Payton Verhulst tallied 11 points, while freshman Sahara Williams added 10 of her own, with five rebounds and four dimes. Johnson finished with nine points, six rebounds and two steals.
OU scored 40 points in the paint and shot 43% on the day, its best field goal percentage since it shot 44% against UNLV on Dec. 9. On the defensive end, the Sooners held Texas Tech to 40% from the floor and forced the Lady Raiders into 24 turnovers, their most in conference play. The Sooners dished out 25 assists for the 19th time under Baranczyk, the most nationally since 2021.
