While the men’s Oklahoma basketball team was engaged at home in a close encounter with archrival Texas, the Lady Sooners were across the country in Morgantown, West Virginia, in a battle of their own against a tough group of Lady Mountaineers.
The 20th-ranked Sooner women got off fast against West Virginia, racing out to an 11-point lead in the opening quarter on six-of-eight three-point shooting, only to lose it all in the second period before turning up the gas in the second half to pull away for a 21-point, 98-77 victory.
After several lead changes to open the second half, Oklahoma closed out the third quarter on an 8-0 run to open up a 69-62 advantage going into the fourth quarter and then outscored the Mountaineers 29-15 over the final 10 minutes to finish off its 11th win of the season against just one loss.
Seniors Ana Llanusa and Madi Williams scored 28 and 24 points, respectively, and Taylor Robertson just missed the 20-point level with 18 as the Sooners shot a sizzling 56.7 percent for the game and 53.8 percent (14 of 26) from three-point land. Big 12 career three-point leader Robertson found the range from long distance on 6 of 10 three-balls.
West Virginia also had two players go over 20 points for the game: The Mountaineers’ Ja’Naiya Quinerly matched Llanusa 28 points and Madisen Smith contributed 23.
Oklahoma’s 98-point effort was a program best in a road game, beating by one point a 97-point performance last season at Texas Tech. It was also accomplished against a West Virginia scoring defense that was fourth best coming into the game.
The Lady Sooners return home for their Big 12 opener on Tuesday against No. 23 Baylor.