Sooners Sharp in 67-55 Win over WVU

Saturday, March 7

Dallas, Texas

6:00 PM

University of Oklahoma

West Virginia

March 07, 2015 | Women's Basketball

By: Athletics Communications

West Virginia

Oklahoma

Box Score

Highlights

Postgame Notes

Postgame Quotes

Stat Comparison
Category	WVU	OU
Points	55	67
FGM-A	20-55	20-53
FG%	34.4	37.7
3 FGM-A	7-18	4-12
3 FG%	38.9	33.3
FTM-A	8-14	23-30
FT%	57.1	76.7
Rebounds	32	40
Assists	14	11
Turnovers	10	9
Blocks	5	2
Steals	4	1

Individual Leaders
Category	WVU	OU
Points	Holmes - 17	K. Williams - 14
Rebounds	Montgomery - 9	K. Williams - 10
Assists	Holmes - 7	Ortz - 4
Steals	Stepney - 2	Manning - 1
Blocks	Four players - 1	Two players - 1

Player of the Game
Maddie Manning//RSo.//G Manning scored 11 points on 4-7 shooting and pulled in six rebounds, tying a season-high. The redshirt sophomore played a season-high 30 minutes off the bench in her first post-season action as a Sooner.

DALLAS (AP) -- Peyton Little scored 15 points with three 3-pointers and Kaylon Williams added 14 points and 10 rebounds as second-seeded Oklahoma cruised past No. 7 seed West Virginia 67-55 on Saturday night.

"Low turnovers, high rebounds, that's how you beat that team," head coach Sherri Coale said. "I thought we did a terrific job of being secure with the basketball and going to get it off the glass on both ends of the floor."

The Sooners committed just nine turnovers on the night, tying a season-low. Freshman Gabbi Ortiz, one of five Sooners playing in their first Big 12 Tournament, dished four assists and did not record a turnover in her first career post-season action.

"That kind of tells the story," Coale said. "I told our assistant coaches before the game if Gabbi's' tempo is good, if she is solid with the ball and everybody else relaxes around her we'll be fine. If your point guard gets sped up, then you've got a problem that's hard to stop. I just thought she was terrific all night and sort of set the stage for us to do what we did against a very good defensive team."

The win advances Oklahoma (20-10) to the semifinals of the Big 12 Conference tournament for the second time in the last three years and the sixth time in the last seven. Oklahoma will play the winner of Saturday's nightcap between TCU and Texas Sunday at 4:00 p.m.

Also seeing her first career post-season action, redshirt sophomore Maddie Manning delivered big minutes off the bench. The Ankeny, Iowa native scored 11 points on 4-7 shooting, and hauled in six rebounds. Manning was sidelined the last two seasons with ACL injuries.

"I thought her play was integral in every part," Coale said. "It's so rewarding for everybody on our team because when you watch a kid go like 700 days without getting to play the sport that she loves, working on just the drudgery of rehab every day, to get to come back and not just play, but play in a big way and impact the outcome of an important game. It's just fun for everyone."

Little buried a 3-pointer to cap a 9-0 run by Oklahoma as the Sooners broke away to a 34-20 halftime lead. The Sooners maintained a safe edge throughout the second half.

Bria Holmes led West Virginia (18-14) with 17 points, Averee Fields added 13 and Breana McDonald 12.

With five blocked shots, West Virginia broke a 1984 school record with 210.

Holmes and McDonald hit consecutive 3-pointers as the Mountaineers came as close as 57-50, forcing an Oklahoma timeout.

Williams hit a jumper out of the huddle and Little capped a 6-0 run with a trey.