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Oklahoma basketball: Takeaways from OU women’s upset of No. 12 Ole Miss

By Chip Rouse

Oklahoma Sooners guard Skylar Vann (24) looks to pass the ball from beside Kansas State Wildcats guard Gabby Gregory (12) during a women's college basketball game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Kansas State Wildcats at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla., Wednesday, March 1, 2023.Ou Women S Basketball Vs Kansas State
Oklahoma Sooners guard Skylar Vann (24) looks to pass the ball from beside Kansas State Wildcats guard Gabby Gregory (12) during a women's college basketball game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Kansas State Wildcats at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla., Wednesday, March 1, 2023.Ou Women S Basketball Vs Kansas State /
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A late third-quarter scoring run carried over into the fourth quarter, and that was all the separation the Oklahoma basketball women needed to roll out of Oxford, Mississippi, with an 82-70 upset over No. 12-ranked Ole Miss, a future Sooner opponent from the SEC.

Three days after posting a 92-68 season-opening win at home over Wichita State, the Lady Sooners faced a giant early season challenge on the road against a top-25 opponent.

The two teams battled back and forth for almost three full quarters — there were 13 lead changes in the game — with neither team holding more than a five-point advantage. After Ole Miss had taken a one-point lead, 57-56, with a little over a minute and a half left to go in the third quarter, Oklahoma mounted a 6-0 run to end the quarter with a 62-57 lead.

Five different Sooners led the scoring run, which continued into the final quarter. OU scored the first four points in the fourth quarter to finish off a 10-0 run and open up a 66-57 margin with less than 30 seconds gone in quarter.

The Lady Rebels never got closer than five points the rest of the way as the Sooners registered their first true road victory over a ranked nonconference opponent since 2007 to go 2-0 in the new season.

OU’s Skylar Vann, a two-time winner of the Big 12’s Sixth Player of the Year honor, led all scorers with 24 points. Freshman Sahara Williams contributed 13 points and Oklahoma State transfer Lexy Keys had 11.

The OU women return to action on Sunday back in Lloyd Noble Center playing host to Oral Roberts.

Four prime takeaways from Oklahoma’s upset win over Ole Miss

  • The Sooners shot 43.8 percent for the game, scoring 28 baskets on 21 assists, reflecting excellent ball movement.
  • Almost half of Oklahoma’s 82 points (42) were scored in close in the paint.
  • The OU defense tightened the screws down the stretch, holding the Lady Rebels to just 5 of 19 shooting (26.3 percent) over the final 10 minutes.
  • While 42 Oklahoma points came in the paint, the Sooners added 20 more (out of 23 attempts) from the free throw line.
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