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Oklahoma basketball: Lady Sooners improve to 9-1 with upset of 16th-ranked BYU

By Chip Rouse

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 08: A Referee holds a Nike Basketball during the second half of a game between the Florida Gators and the Dayton Flyers at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center on December 08, 2021 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 08: A Referee holds a Nike Basketball during the second half of a game between the Florida Gators and the Dayton Flyers at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center on December 08, 2021 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images) /
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The men’s Oklahoma basketball and football coaches aren’t the only new head-coach hires in Norman these days. The women’s hoops program is also under new leadership and thriving because of it.

The Lady Sooners picked up their ninth win of the season Friday night at Lloyd Noble Center with a 99-91 upset of 16th-ranked BYU in overtime.

The Oklahoma women have a new head coach this season. Jennie Baranczyk replaced longtime OU women’s coach Sherri Coale, who retired after 513 wins in 25 seasons leading the Sooners women’s program. For the past six seasons, Baranczyk was at Drake University, where she led the Lady Bulldogs to six consecutive 20-win seasons.

Baranczyk is well on her way to a 20-win season with the Sooners in 2021-22. OU’s only loss in 10 games this season was to then-No. 9 Oregon in the Battle for Atlantis Tournament in the Bahamas in November.

Senior guards Madi Williams and Taylor Robertson combined for 48 of Oklahoma’s 99 point. Williams’ 25 points led all scorers, and Robertson contributed 23.

BYU took control of the game early and led by four, 41-37 at halftime. The Sooners chipped away at the deficit and finally grabbed the lead at the 7:46 mark of the third quarter. The lead went back and forth for the remainder of regulation with the lead changing hands six different times.

BYU’s Skylar Vann made a layup 49 seconds left in regulation to tie the game, and the Cougars had a chance to win the game but missed a shot with time running down to send the game to an extra session.

The Cougars jumped out in front 91-88 early in the overtime, but the Sooners finished out the scoring on an 11-0 run to seal the victory.

The Sooners are not ranked but their 9-1 record and first win this season over a ranked opponent should start to give them more notice.

A year ago through the first 10 games, the OU women were 4-6,. The Lady Sooners are off to one of their best starts in recent seasons and will face another team out of Utah in their next game, 10 days from now. OU will host the University of Utah on Dec. 21.

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