Oklahoma Overpowers Oklahoma State in Second Half to Notch Another Bedlam Victory

OKLAHOMA CITY — Jennie Baranczyk loves coaching in Bedlam.

A second-half surge saw Oklahoma power past Oklahoma State 92-70 at the Paycom Center on Saturday, moving the OU coach to 7-0 against the Cowgirls since taking over the program.

The No. 9 Sooners (11-1) took a five-point lead into halftime, then OU opened the second half on an 8-2 run.

Oklahoma State coach Jacie Hoyt burned an early timeout to try and break up the momentum, but the No. 23 Cowgirls (10-2) struggled to wrestle back control of the contest.

"What a fun day and a fun environment," Baranczyk said after the win. "… Almost had a tournament-type feel."

Here are three takeaways from Oklahoma’s Bedlam triumph:

OU’s Balance Proves too Much for the Pokes

Oklahoma Sooners — Final Bedlam Box Score | OU Stats

On Thursday, Baranczyk said the Sooners were going to have to “out-team” Oklahoma State.

Mission accomplished.

No one Sooner killed the Cowgirls, but five different OU players scored in double figures, led by Raegan Beers’ 22-point double-double.

Sahara Williams and Zya Vann set the tone in the first half.

Both served as OU’s defensive engines, while Williams scored 10 and Vann added nine before halftime.

"(Zya) really sets a tone," Baranczyk said. "Between her and Sahara, Sahara’s like the competitor. Her voice, her intensity and Zya’s kind of like the silent killer to be honest. She just finds ways but she sets the tone for us so much, especially on that defensive end."

After the intermission, freshman star Aaliyah Chavez made her presence felt.

She dished out four assists and added 11 points after halftime, pushing the pace during Oklahoma’s third-quarter push.

"I just thought we attacked the paint. Doing what works," Williams said of OU's second-half run. "Running our offense. Kind of simplifying the game. Playing defense. Getting stops is where it started and just really honing in on the simple things and the things that we could control and I thought the game started to look different when we did that."

Baranczyk also noted that Williams added a big smile to pair with her efforts after halftime, something that seems small but makes all the difference for the Sooners.

"I love her strength. I love the way that she plays. I love her tenacity," Baranczyk said. "I love her competitiveness. She wills us in so many different things. Even when you don’t think it’s possible, Sahara just finds a way. She really does.

"And so when she brings that fun and that joy and that competitiveness, it’s amazing what it does for our entire team."

Active Hands Were the Difference

Oklahoma Sooners, Zya Vann — Oklahoma guard Zya Vann hesitates against Oklahoma State. | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

Both teams brought high-powered offense to the Paycom Center, but it was the Sooners’ defensive intensity that gave OU the edge.

Baranczyk’s defense won the turnover battle 22-19, which Oklahoma turned into a 27-14 advantage in points off turnovers.

Pair that with OU’s 50-28 advantage in the paint, and the formula proved too strong for Oklahoma State to overcome.

Vann led OU with four steals and Chavez swiped three steals to lead the charge.

Building Depth

Bench pieces like Caya Smith and Brooklyn Stewart didn’t fill up the box score, but they played key minutes for the Sooners.

OU will always lean on Chavez, Beers, Williams, Payton Verhulst and Vann, but to get through a rigorous SEC schedule, the Sooners will need their young bench pieces to continue to grow.

Baranczyk held Emma Tolan out of the contest until late and shortened her rotations a bit in Bedlam, but she wasn’t afraid to go back to Smith and Stewart throughout the night.

The Sooners will be back in action on Dec. 22 at the Lloyd Noble Center to take on North Carolina Central.