Vann's Game-Winner Sends Oklahoma To Big 12 Semis

Friday, March 10

Municipal Auditorium / Kansas City, Mo.

5 PM

University of Oklahoma

25-5,14-4Big 12

Quarterfinal - TCU

8-23,1-17Big 12

TCU

Oklahoma

Vann's Game-Winner Sends Oklahoma To Big 12 Semis

March 10, 2023 | Women's Basketball

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By: OU Athletics Communications

KANSAS CITY — A Skylar Vann layup with 2.2 seconds left on the clock pushed No. 14 Oklahoma past TCU, 77-76, and into the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship semifinals on Friday night.

The No. 2-seeded Sooners (25-5, 14-4) needed all 21 of Vann's points to preserve the program's hope for a fifth postseason Big 12 championship. Oklahoma erased TCU's (8-23, 1-17) double-digit lead in the first half to mark the team's fifth double-digit comeback of the season. OU will play No. 3-seeded Iowa State in Saturday's semifinal at 2:30 p.m.

Oklahoma struggled out of the gates vs. the No. 10-seeded Horned Frogs, who upset Kansas on Thursday night. TCU shot 52% in the first quarter, outscoring OU 26-23 in the frame. But Oklahoma took the punch and answered in the second, holding TCU to just 21% in the frame to jump out in front, 39-34, at the break. The Sooners built their lead to 11 points at the midway point of the third quarter, but the Frogs bounced back, cutting the OU lead to just six entering the fourth. The Sooners shot 50% in the final quarter, but four turnovers allowed TCU to get back into the game. Lucy Ibeh drove into the paint and gave TCU a 76-75 lead with just over four seconds remaining. Baranczyk called a timeout and drew up a play that saw Taylor Robertson inbound the ball to Vann, who drove past her defender and hit the contested layup to give Oklahoma a 77-76 lead with 2.2 seconds left. However, TCU couldn't convert the last-second shot, and OU escaped with the one-point victory.

Vann's 21-point output nearly matched her career-high, set nine days ago vs. Kansas State when she scored 23 points. Robertson finished with 17 points on a 5-of-7 shooting night but a near-perfect 5-of-6 clip from deep. The sharpshooter has now hit five 3-pointers in an NCAA record 44 games across her career. Aubrey Joens was strong off the bench, scoring 15 points with six rebounds, powered by a trio of 3-pointers. Big 12 All-Freshman selection Beatrice Culliton finished with nine points and seven rebounds.

Oklahoma's 26 assists on 27 made field goals marked the highest assist percentage for Oklahoma in a single game since the formation of the Big 12. OU outrebounded TCU 37-36, and shot 42.2% from the floor. The Sooners hit 10 3-pointers for the 30th time of the Baranczyk era, improving to 27-3 when doing so.

The Sooners take on the Cyclones at 2:30 p.m. with a spot in the final on the line. The game will be aired on ESPN+. The teams split the season series, with each team winning on their home floor.