Sooners Stifle Jayhawks, Improve to 7-1 in Big 12

Saturday, January 27

Norman

6 PM CT

University of Oklahoma

13-6,7-1Big 12

Kansas

10-10,3-6Big 12

Kansas

Oklahoma

Sooners Stifle Jayhawks, Improve to 7-1 in Big 12

January 27, 2024 | Women's Basketball

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By: OU Athletics Communications

NORMAN – Skylar Vann posted team highs of 21 points and seven rebounds on her birthday, and the Oklahoma defense locked in as the Sooners held off a tough Kansas team, 60-55, in Norman on Saturday to improve to 7-1 in the Big 12.

The win gave Oklahoma (13-6, 7-1 Big 12) sole possession of second place in the Big 12 Conference and sets up a battle for first place next Wednesday when No. 4 Kansas State comes to Norman. The Sooners are 7-1 in league play for the first time since 2014-15.

"This is one of those games that show how tough the Big 12 is," third-year head coach Jennie Baranczyk said. "This league is so unique because of how different teams play and the versatility from top to bottom. I'm proud of the way that we stuck in it. I'm not necessarily proud of our offensive production or our energy early on, but I'm proud of the way that when push came to shove in the fourth quarter, we were able to come out on top, and that's not something we were able to do a month ago."

The Sooners trailed early as the Jayhawks (10-10, 3-6 Big 12) built a seven-point lead, its largest of the night, at the 5:20 mark of the first quarter. The Sooners closed the frame on a 10-5 run to trial 16-14 after 10 minutes. A 3-pointer from Vann opened the second quarter to give OU a lead, and the teams remained closed through the rest of the half as Kansas sunk a 3-pointer with seconds on the clock to claim a one-point advantage at the break.

Sahara Williams scored her lone basket of the night to open the second half, notching one of the game's 11 lead changes to put OU in front. The Sooners led the rest of the frame, building the gap to six points after back-to-back treys from Payton Verhulst, who finished with 12 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Zakiyah Franklin sunk another 3-pointer to end the frame to cut OU's lead to two points heading into the final frame. The fourth quarter saw the lead change four times, but Vann's elbow jumper as the shot clock expired put OU up for good with 2:00 on the clock. The Sooners closed the night on a 7-2 run to ice the game, powered by Vann's big buckets and two free throws from Lexy Keys, to secure the 60-55 win.

Oklahoma, who entered the day averaging a league-low 13.0 turnovers per game in Big 12 play, coughed it up just eight times compared to KU's 12. The Sooners scored 11 points off the Jayhawks' turnovers, while KU was blanked in second-chance scoring, fast break scoring and got no points from its bench. Oklahoma outrebounded KU 46-38, improving to 10-2 this season when winning on the glass. The Sooners shot only 32% but held KU to 37%, winning for the second time this year when shooting a worse percentage from the floor than their opponents.

Baranczyk's team has now won seven of eight, including four straight and gets a rematch with the Wildcats (20-1, 9-0 Big 12) in Norman on Wednesday night. A win over K-State, who received a forfeited win via TCU, would push OU to the top of the league midway through the conference slate. The game tips at 6 p.m. on ESPN+, and tickets are available online.