Women’s Oklahoma basketball is back on top of the Big 12 Conference.
For the second time in less than a week, the Sooners scored in the final seconds to take down a top-10 team, leaving them tied with Iowa State at the top of the Big 12 standings.
The 18th-ranked Lady Sooners (18-3, 8-2) defeated Baylor Wednesday night 77-76, sweeping the regular-season series with the Lady Bears (15-5, 5-3).
Forced to travel the 275 miles from Norman to Waco, Texas, by bus when their flight was cancelled because of a winter snow and ice storm, the Lady Sooners arrived late for their scheduled showdown with No. 9 Baylor.
Oklahoma had to weather another storm in the early going against the Lady Bears on Wednesday night. After one quarter, head coach Jennie Baranczyk’s Sooners found themselves down 25-16. OU found its footing and its bearings in the second period, however, making up the deficit and sending the game to halftime all deadlocked at 38 apiece.
The contest was close the entire second half. Baylor held on to a narrow lead most of the final 20 minutes. A 7-2 scoring run in the final two minutes of the third quarter gave the Sooners a 65-64 edge entering the final quarter.
Baylor quickly regained the lead. 66-65 in the opening minute of the fourth quarter. With three minutes to go in the game, the Lady Bears held a 76-70 advantage and seemingly had things in control. Only that was the last time Baylor would score. Oklahoma scored the final seven points, the final two coming on a layup by Liz Scott with six seconds remaining in regulation to give the Sooners the upset victory.
It was the second game in a row that Scott had scored a game-winning basket with just a few seconds remaining to secure an Oklahoma victory. Her jump shot with :04 on the clock at home on Saturday against then-No. 9 Texas gave the Sooners a 65-63 win.
Madi Williams, Oklahoma’s leading scorer on the season, led the Sooners with 20 points along with eight rebounds and five assists. Scott contributed 16 and Taylor Robertson added 14. OU had a significant rebounding advantage over the Lady Bears (46 to 35).
The Lady Sooners, in their first season under new head coach Baranczyk, are off to their best season start since the 2014-15 season. The OU women are back in action on Saturday, hosting West Virginia at Lloyd Noble Center.