Stormin in Norman
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Oklahoma basketball: What we learned from Lady Sooners’ home win over Kansas

By Chip Rouse

Oklahoma forward Madi Williams (25) shoots for three as Kansas center Taiyanna Jackson (1) jumps to block in the first half during a women’s college basketball game between the Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Kansas Jayhawks at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023.Ou Vs Kansas
Oklahoma forward Madi Williams (25) shoots for three as Kansas center Taiyanna Jackson (1) jumps to block in the first half during a women’s college basketball game between the Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Kansas Jayhawks at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023.Ou Vs Kansas /
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For the second game in a row, the women’s Oklahoma basketball team waited for the second half to find their rhythm and squeeze the will out of their opponent in an 80-74 win over No. 23 Kansas.

Playing before the largest home crowd of the season, the OU women completed a doubleheader sweep for Sooner basketball. The Sooner men won over West Virginia in the game preceding the OU-Kansas women’s contest, hanging on at the end for a one-point, 76-77 victory.

Oklahoma got off to a slow start against the Lady Jayhawks, scoring just 15 points on 22-percent shooting in the opening quarter. Meanwhile, Kansas opened up a nine-point lead, 24-15, after one period.

The Sooner defense got stingier in the second quarter, holding Kansas to just three field goals, but OU scored just 13 itself and trailed 35-28 at the break.

The second half was a different story, though. By the end of the third quarter, Oklahoma had drawn even at 53-all, and 30 seconds into the fourth the Sooners took the lead for good, 55-53, on a basket by Liz Scott.

The Sooners shot 56 percent (9 of 13) in the final quarter, but it took a pair of free throws by Nevaeh Tot, Madi Williams and Taylor Robertson to lock down the win.

Williams led Oklahoma with 20 points and Ana Llanusa added a dozen more. Kansas’ Wyvette was the game’s high scorer with 20.

These same two teams will meet a second time this season on Feb. 19 in Lawrence. Oklahoma’s next game will be against TCU in Ft. Worth on Wednesday.

What we can take away from the win over Kansas

  • With the win, the Sooners improve to 14-2 on the season and 4-1 in the Big 12 and move into first place in the conference, depending on the outcome of Texas and Iowa State on Sunday.
  • OU’s Taylor Robertson connected on two of seven three-point attempts in the Kansas game. That leaves the Sooner senior within seven three-pointers of becoming the NCAA career leader. She currently has 491.
  • Liz Scott scored 10 points and grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds in earning her third career double-double. She also had a career-high four assists in the game.
  • The Lady Sooners outrebounded Kansas 57 to 44, including 22 offensive rebounds
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