Vann Scores 20 as OU Holds Off Auburn in Norman

Monday, February 10

Norman, Okla.

7 PM CT

University of Oklahoma

18-6,6-5SEC

Auburn

12-12,3-8SEC

Auburn

Oklahoma

Vann Scores 20 as OU Holds Off Auburn in Norman

February 10, 2025 | Women's Basketball

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By: OU Athletics Communications

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Skylar Vann matched her season high with 20 points and Payton Verhulst hit two free throws with four seconds left and scored 15 to help No. 16 Oklahoma hold off Auburn 73-71 on Monday night.

Vann had five points and four assists in the first quarter to help the Sooners (18-6, 6-5 Southeastern Conference) jump in front 12-2 before settling for a 21-17 lead. Oklahoma took a 44-35 lead into halftime and led 58-48 after three quarters.

DeYona Gaston had a three-point play and scored the first nine points of the final quarter to get the Tigers (12-12 3-8) within 58-57 with 8:28 remaining. Vann answered with a three-point play for the Sooners, but Gaston hit a jumper and Mar'shaun Bostic followed with a layup to give the Tigers their first lead at 66-65 with 3:30 left.

Verhulst made 1 of 2 at the line to put Oklahoma ahead by a point and Gaston made the second of two free throws to tie it at 71 with 24 seconds remaining. Verhulst was fouled with four seconds to go and made two for the victory after Gaston missed the game's final shot.

Gaston finished with 24 points and Bostic added 16 points, six rebounds and five assists.

Auburn had never played a game in the state of Oklahoma and was looking for its first road win over a ranked SEC team since beating Georgia in 2011. The two schools met just once prior when Auburn beat the visiting Sooners 95-79 in 2018 in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.

The Sooners take on Missouri in Columbia on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT on SEC Network. Oklahoma knocked off the Tigers (13-13, 2-9 SEC), 80-63, in Norman on Jan. 16.

POSTGAME NOTES

• No. 16 Oklahoma held off a late charge to defeat Auburn, 73-71, at Lloyd Noble Center on Monday night. The Sooners improved to 18-6 overall and 6-5 in conference play. The victory pushed Oklahoma above .500 in SEC games for the first time since it was 3-2 on Jan. 16 after a win over Missouri.

• Skylar Vann tied her season high with 20 points on 9 of 15 shooting in a breakout game. The redshirt senior added five rebounds and a team high four assists in the win. After scoring in double figures eight times in the non-conference slate, the 2024 Big 12 Co-Player of the Year had reached 10 points just twice in SEC action (at South Carolina, vs. Kentucky) entering the contest. The Edmond, Okla., product now has 19 career games of 20 points.

• Payton Verhulst scored in double figures for the fifth consecutive game, finishing with 15 points behind two made 3-pointers and a 5 of 6 performance at the free throw line. The guard has scored double-digit points in nine of OU's 11 SEC games and her 16.9 points per game in conference play lead the Sooners.

• Raegan Beers, OU's All-American center, missed her second consecutive game due to illness. Liz Scott, who celebrated her 24^th birthday on Monday, made her 64^th career start in her place.

• The Sooners improved to 16-0 this year when leading at the half as Oklahoma took a 44-35 lead into the break. OU is now 78-4 since 2021 when shooting a better percentage than its opponent as the Sooners shot 47.% on the night compared to the Tigers' 45.6%.

• Oklahoma scored 38 points in the paint, eclipsing 30 paint points for the eighth time in conference play and 20^th time this season. The Sooners entered Monday night averaging 41.2 paint points per game, sixth most in the nation.

• Up next: The Sooners travel to Missouri on Sunday (Feb. 16) for a 1 p.m. CT showdown with the Tigers (13-13, 2-9 SEC) on SEC Network. Oklahoma beat Mizzou 80-63 in Norman on January 16.