OU's Upset Bid vs. Ducks Falls Just Short

Saturday, November 20

Paradise Island, Bahamas

4 PM

University of Oklahoma

3-1,0-0Big 12

Oregon

3-0,0-0Pac-12

Oklahoma

Oregon

OU's Upset Bid vs. Ducks Falls Just Short

November 20, 2021 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Highlights Photo Gallery

By: OU Athletics Communications

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas – The Oklahoma women's basketball team led No. 9 Oregon for 31 minutes Saturday night but couldn't hold off the Ducks' late rally, falling 98-93 in the first round of the Bad Boy Mowers Women's Battle 4 Atlantis.

Taylor Robertson led the charge for Oklahoma (3-1, 0-0 Big 12), who hunted its first win over a top-10 team since 2017, with 29 points and a career-high eight assists. Oregon's (3-0, 0-0 Pac-12) Nyara Sabally was critical for the Ducks, tallying 30 points and 11 rebounds.

"What a game for women's college basketball," head coach Jennie Baranczyk said following the loss. "That's what this tournament is all about, really, is high-level basketball. But it's really hard to come out on the wrong side of this one. I'm so proud of the way that we came out and did a phenomenal job of just playing our brand of basketball. But you've got to give credit to a really good Oregon team."

The game was tightly-contested throughout, featuring 10 lead changes and nine ties.

The Sooners got off to a blistering start, taking a seven-point lead six minutes into the game after a Madi Williams 3-pointer. Oklahoma played its up-tempo style of basketball in the first, outscoring the Ducks 23-17 and forcing them into eight first-quarter turnovers. Robertson hit two of her treys in the first to extend the OU lead as she continued her march toward the Big 12 record for career 3-pointers made.

Oklahoma proceeded to add to its advantage in the second frame. In the middle of the quarter, an Oregon run gave the ninth-ranked Ducks a 1-point lead, but the Sooners stormed back with a 13-3 run to take a nine-point lead into the break, 44-35.

Following halftime adjustments, the Ducks, led by head coach Kelly Graves, powered themselves back into the game with a 16-5 run of their own to cut the OU lead to one, but the Sooners wouldn't bow down. Robertson and Ana Llanusa sunk threes, Nydia Lampkin fought through contact for a converted and-1, and the Sooners closed the half on a 15-9 run to claim a seven-point cushion after 30 minutes of play.

Oregon battled with the Sooners in the final frame, chipping away at the Crimson and Cream's lead over the first six-and-a-half minutes of the fourth, tying the game at 86 with 1:55 left and never surrendering that lead to defeat OU 98-93.

In addition to Robertson's 29 points on 7-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc, Madi Williams poured in 19 points before fouling out, as Llanusa added 18 of her own. Skylar Vann came off the bench to lead the team in rebounding with nine boards.

"These women are very, very good basketball players," Baranczyk added. "I could not be prouder to coach them and I know that we are going to play Oklahoma basketball. All we're going to focus on is to keep getting better and having fun playing. We're just scratching the surface of what this team can be."

The Sooners dished out 22 assists, crossing the 20-assist threshold for the second time this year. In addition, they poured in 93 points, bringing their season average to 85.8 points per game, good for 23rd in the nation.

OU is set to match up with another top-50 scoring team (81.0 ppg) on Sunday when it takes on Buffalo (1-1, 0-0 MAC) in the second round of the Battle 4 Atlantis. The Bulls fell to No. 1 South Carolina on Saturday, 88-60.

That contest will tip-off at 6:30 p.m. CT and be broadcast on FloHoops.