Sherri Coale's Sooners can't shake offensive funk in Bedlam loss
Sherri Coale's team can't seem to get on track, and having star forward Madi Williams sidelined in the COVID-19 protocol hasn't helped matters.
Despite 18 points from Taylor Robertson and 14 Gabby Gregory, the Sooners couldn't forge past Oklahoma State on Tuesday night, falling 66-53 at the Lloyd Noble Center. With the loss, Oklahoma falls to 1-4 on the young season.
Ja'Mee Asberry poured in 19 points to lead the way for the Cowgirls, who never trailed. Natasha Mack added 16 points and seven rebounds, and Taylen Collins scored 12 to go along with eight boards.
Coale's crew struggled early on the offensive end, as they trailed 15-8 after a quarter and couldn't establish a rhythm. When the second period opened, the Sooners began to close the deficit, as Liz Scott hit layups on consecutive possessions to whittle the margin to 17-14. However, Lauren Fields answered with a deep three-pointer to beat the shot clock, and the Cowgirls later added another pair of triples to close the half with a 29-20 advantage.
The Sooners' offensive malaise dragged into the second half, as Oklahoma managed just a single field goal over the first five minutes of the third period. Oklahoma State eventually stretched the lead to 41-22 on a Micah Dennis jumper before Gregory finally hit from the elbow to break the Sooners' scoring drought. Asberry connected from behind the arc just before the third-quarter buzzer to stretch the Cowgirls' lead to 50-30.
Come the fourth quarter, Oklahoma found life, as Gregory and Skylar Vann hit back-to-back threes to kick off a 12-0 run. But the offensive spark proved to be too little and too late, as the Sooners couldn't shrink the deficit to single digits.
Vann, a freshman guard from Edmond, Okla., notched 11 points and set a career high with nine rebounds. As a team, Oklahoma shot just 36 percent from the field and 6-of-18 from the three-point line. Foul trouble plagued the Sooners as well, as Scott eventually fouled out and senior forward Mandy Simpson sat for the majority of the second half with three fouls of her own.
The Sooners have one final game before the holidays, as they'll host South Dakota on Sunday afternoon. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. from the Lloyd Noble Center.
To get the latest OU posts as they happen, join the SI Sooners Community by clicking “Follow” at the top right corner of the page (mobile users can click the notifications bell icon), and follow SI Sooners on Twitter @All_Sooners.