NORMAN –
Aubrey Joens led all players with 23 points and 11 rebounds as No. 15 Oklahoma claimed a wire-to-wire 84-57 win over Texas Tech in Norman on Wednesday night.
Joens' performance secured her fifth career double-double, and second as a Sooner. The win moved Oklahoma (21-4, 11-3 Big 12) into a tie atop the Big 12 standings with No. 17 Texas, who the Sooners host on Feb. 25, with four games remaining in conference play. The Sooners, who had four players score in double figures Wednesday, haven't won the Big 12 since 2009.
"A great team win for us again today," head coach
Jennie Baranczyk said. "I think you can tell that we're really having fun and getting better, and tonight it was against a really good Texas Tech team. I'm just really excited with the way that we came out and the way that we finished."
The Sooners started the game on a 10-0 run to put the pressure on Texas Tech (16-10, 4-9) early in the game, and the overpowering Oklahoma offense took a 26-13 lead into the second quarter. OU then held the Lady Raiders to just four made field goals in the second frame to build the halftime lead to 40-22. A 21-15 drubbing in the third quarter all but put the finishing touches on the season sweep of Texas Tech, as Oklahoma outscored
TTU in all four quarters en route to the team's 16
th win by 10-plus points of the year.
Joens' 23 points and 11 boards weren't the only highlight on the stat sheet, as freshman center
Beatrice Culliton dished out a career-high 10 assists. The Overland Park, Kan., product add four points and four rebounds in the win, as her 10 dimes made her the only freshman center in the country to post double-digit assists in at least 14 seasons.
Liz Scott added 13 points with four rebounds, along with zero turnovers.
Madi Williams reached double-digit points, adding 12 to go with five rebounds.
Skylar Vann posted 10 rebounds for a team-high sixth time this season, registering six points in the win.
Nevaeh Tot poured in 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting, paired with three assists and two rebounds.
The Sooners shot 49% on the night, and held the Lady Raiders to just 33% (20-of-60) at Lloyd Noble Center. Baranczyk's team had 27 assists on 34 made field goals, as the Sooners have now posted 27-plus assists in four straight games – a program record.
Oklahoma makes its last out-of-state road trip of the regular season this weekend when it travels to Lawrence, Kan., for a matchup with Kansas (16-8, 6-7 Big 12). The Sooners defeated the Jayhawks earlier this year in Norman, 80-74, and they'll look for the season sweep at 2 p.m. Sunday on ESPN+.