Big Third Quarter Lifts Oklahoma to Blowout win at Missouri in Regular-Season Finale

Missouri was pesky on Sunday against seventh-ranked Oklahoma in Columbia, Mo.

But after the Tigers twice climbed back within striking distance after the Sooners built big leads, OU then went on a big run that ended any chance of a Missouri upset.

The Sooners dominated the third quarter, pulling away to beat the Tigers 84-78 on Sunday in the regular-season finale.

Oklahoma twice had double-digit leads shrink to where Missouri was a possession or two from being able to jump in front, including seeing a 10-point lead shrink to three in less than two minutes early in the third quarter.

But then the Sooners reeled off 14 consecutive points to take control.

Oklahoma hit three 3-pointers during that stretch, including two from Payton Verhulst.

Verhulst scored eight of her 16 points during the Sooners' 27-point third quarter.

Raegan Beers led the Sooners with 23 points, while Aaliyah Chavez added 18 points.

Verhulst had a season-high 12 rebounds, one shy of her career high. OU outrebounded Missouri 54-35, grabbing 20 offensive rebounds.

Beers had six and Sahara Williams had five offensive boards.

The Sooners (23-6, 11-5 SEC) have won six consecutive games.

Here are three more takeaways from the Sooners' win:

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Aaliyah Chavez, Sahara Williams Come up big When Sooners' Need it

Even after that big third-quarter run, the Tigers weren't dead yet.

Missouri trimmed the OU lead to six with les than three minutes remaining.

But then two of Oklahoma's stars came up big when the Sooners needed it most.

Just after Shannon Dowell made it a 77-71 game with a driving layup, Chavez came back down and went nearly coast-to-coast for a reverse layup to stem the tide.

Chavez tried to do it again after grabbing a rebound on the other end, but this time her layup try bounced off the rim.

But Williams was there to pick up her teammate, grabbing the rebound and going right back up, for what turned out to be a three-point play.

Missouri didn't seriously threaten the lead again.

Dowell, coming off the bench for the first time this season as Missouri opted to go with a senior-laden starting lineup on Senior Day, finished with a season-high 33 points.

Sooners Move up in NCAA Seed Projections

It wasn't too long ago that the Sooners looked like they were in an uphill fight to earn a top-four seed and the right to host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

But Oklahoma's recent winning streak put it firmly in position to earn one of those3 16 hosting seeds.

Well before Sunday's game, the Sooners found out just how secure their position is.

In the second seed reveal by the NCAA Tournament selection committee, OU was the No. 12 overall seed, which would give the Sooners a No. 3 seed in the field.

The top 16 seeds in the field will be revealed in alphabetical order March 14, a day before the bracket is revealed on Selection Sunday, March 15 at 7 p.m. on ESPN.

Up Next: SEC Tournament

Even before Sunday's action began, the Sooners were locked into the No. 5 seed in next week's SEC Women's Basketball Tournament in Greenville, S.C.

Oklahoma will take on either the No. 12 or No. 13 seed at 12:30 Thursday in the second round.

The Sooners' win Sunday locked in Florida and Mississippi State into that first-round game to determine who OU will play.

Oklahoma beat the Gators 81-74 on Feb. 12 and the Bulldogs 95-47 on Jan. 4, both in Norman.