Sooners Comeback Falls Short at No. 7 LSU

Thursday, January 30

Pete Maravich Assembly Center • Baton Rouge, La.

6 PM CT

University of Oklahoma

16-5,4-4SEC

100

107

LSU

22-1,7-1SEC

Oklahoma

100

LSU

107

Photo by: Beau Brune

Sooners Comeback Falls Short at No. 7 LSU

January 30, 2025 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Game Book Tickets vs. UK

By: OU Athletics Communications

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Mikaylah Williams scored 37 points, including a 3-pointer to start a game-closing 6-0 run, and No. 7 LSU outlasted No. 13 Oklahoma 107-100 on Thursday night.

Flau'Jae Johnson added 25 points and Aneesah Morrow scored 21 for the Tigers (22-1, 7-1 Southeastern Conference), who led by 24 points late in the third quarter before allowing the Sooners (16-5, 4-4) to rally.

LSU forward Sa'Myah Smith and Oklahoma forward Liz Scott were ejected after some shoving midway through the first quarter of the extremely physical game, which also featured three technical fouls.

Oklahoma scored 17 second-half points off 11 turnovers, fueling a comeback that twice cut LSU's lead to one point in the final 1:35.

Payton Verhulst led the Sooners with 26 points. Raegan Beers had 20.

POSTGAME NOTES

• No. 13 Oklahoma fell on the road to No. 7 LSU Thursday night in Baton Rouge, 107-100. The Sooners dropped to 16-5 overall on the season and 4-4 in SEC play. The defeat closed a January stretch that saw the Sooners face four top-25 teams and another receiving votes in the AP poll over eight games.

• The Sooners nearly erased a 24-point deficit in the second half, which would've been the largest deficit overcome in the Baranczyk era (2021-present). Oklahoma got within one point (101-100) but LSU closed the game on a 6-0 run. Entering the night, Oklahoma had 16 double-digit comebacks over the last four seasons.

• Senior guard Payton Verhulst scored 17 of her team-high 26 points in the first half, keeping the Sooners within striking distance. The guard added seven rebounds and four assists.

• Raegan Beers added 20 points on a perfect 8 of 8 shooting performance. She is the only player in the country this season to notch 20 points with eight made fields without a miss against at top-25 foe. The All-American accomplished the same feat last season against Utah while at Oregon State with an identical 20 points (8-8). Prior to Beers, Baylor's NaLyssa Smith was the most recent player to reach the milestone, doing so in 2021. Since 1999, only 19 players have scored 20 points without a miss in a ranked matchup.

• Reyna Scott started her second straight game and posted a career high with eights assists, along with nine points.

• The Sooners shot 55% (35-64) as a team, falling to 76-4 under Baranczyk when shooting a better percentage that their opponent. LSU finished at 52% (36-69) but made 46% (12-26) of its 3-pointers.

• The Sooners scored 100 points for a fourth time time this season, tying a program record. It was the highest scoring game in regulation in Oklahoma history. The game marked the first time in SEC history that both teams scored 100+ points in regulation.

• Up next: The Sooners host No. 12 Kentucky on Sunday in Norman for the program's annual OU Health Pink Game. Tip is set for 3 p.m. CT on SEC Network.