OU Basketball: Oklahoma Holds Off Alabama to Finish Regular Season Red Hot

A command performance by Oklahoma’s three anchors, and plenty of support from a deep supporting cast, led the No. 13 Sooners to a 91-84 regular season-ending victory over No. 20 Alabama on Sunday at Lloyd Noble Center.

OU guard Payton Verhulst pumped in 24 points behind 4-of-8 shooting from 3-point range. Post Raegan Beers chipped in her familiar double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Forward Sahara Williams added 15 points behind 8-of-10 free throw shooting.

All three were important in the Sooners’ seventh consecutive victory, one that clinched the No. 5 seed at next week’s SEC Tournament in Greenville, S.C. But then so were Skylar Vann, Lexy Keys, Reyna Scott, Lexy Keys, Beatrice Coulliton, Zya Vann, Liz Scott and Nevaeh Tot as OU’s depth wore down Alabama during the decisive second half.

The Sooners (23-6 overall, 11-5 in the SEC) outscored the Crimson Tide (23-7, 10-6) 46-39 after the two teams headed to the locker room tied 45-45 at halftime.

Zaay Green led Alabama, who draws the 6-seed next week in Greenville, with 27 points.

Here are three takeaways from Senior Day at the LNC:

Team Effort

OU’s bench outscored Alabama’s 22-3 Sunday, while manufacturing an 18-4 edge in rebounds. Liz Scott and Coulliton spelled Beers effectively. Keys and Tot made 3s in support of Verhulst’s outside marksmanship. Zya Vann came in and supplied energy, not to mention 3-of-4 shooting, in OU’s backcourt.

It was quite a complement to the tone-setting trio of Beers, Velhurst and Williams, all of whom took turns controlling different parts of a game that OU coach Jennie Baranczyk predicted would resemble an NCAA Tournament slugfest.

With both the Sooners and Crimson Tide in line to host a first-round NCAA regional, that’s exactly what the two teams gave fans in Norman.

Beers, Velhurst and Williams had to come up big under those circumstances. They did.

The trio combined for 25 first-quarter points as OU jumped ahead 28-18. Beers had 8 points and 5 rebounds in a third quarter that saw the Sooners take the lead for good. Velhurst scored 9 points in the fourth quarter as OU never gave up its five-point post-third-quarter lead.

Postseason Implications

The Sooners would have enjoyed a top-4 SEC finish and a double bye into the conference tournament quarterfinals next week. They’ll take the 5-seed, meaning a tournament opener Thursday, March 6, at 12:30 p.m. against the winner of Wednesday’s 12-vs-13 first-rounder.

Win Thursday and OU gets another shot at Kentucky, the SEC’s 4-seed, in Friday’s quarterfinals. The Wildcats beat the Sooners 95-86 Feb. 2 in Norman, the last time OU lost a game.

As for the NCAA Tournament, ESPN bracketologist Charlie Creme has the Sooners hosting first-round games in Norman as the No. 4 seed in the Spokane Regional.

Senior Moments

OU hosted a pregame ceremony Sunday honoring the program’s five seniors – Vann, Tot, Keys, Liz Scott and Aubrey Joens – playing their final regular-season game at the Lloyd Noble Center. All but Joens got in and contributed to the Sooners’ victory.

Scott, the player Baranczyk referred to as “the ultimate protector of your team and your program” in pregame comments on the Sooner Radio Network, scored a pair of baskets during OU’s tiebreaking third quarter.

Vann didn’t make her shots, but contributed four rebounds, three assists and drew the fifth foul on Alabama center Essence Cody.

Tot, OU’s all-time leader in games played, drilled a 3 off Vann’s kickout to push the Sooners ahead 36-25 early in the second quarter.

Keys, the one-time Oklahoma State Cowgirl finishing her second year in Norman, provided a pair of 3-pointers, the first tying the score 45-45 at halftime, while helping defend Alabama scoring leader Sarah Ashlee Barker.

“They’re culture first, and then they happen to be pretty good basketball players,” Baranczyk said of Keys and fellow transfer Joens on the network pregame show. “Lexy has elevated our team, from a defensive level especially.”