Oklahoma Holds Off Kansas With Clutch Free Throws and a Defensive Surge

The Sooners won to maintain at least a share of first place in the Big 12, where they collide with co-leader Texas on Saturday in Norman.

John E. Hoover | Feb 19, 2023

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Oklahoma Sooners

Madi Williams scored 23 points, including two clutch free throws in the final minute, and Ana Llanusa added 18 as Oklahoma beat Kansas 86-80 on Sunday at Phog Allen Field House in Lawrence.

No. 15-ranked OU came into the weekend tied with Texas atop the Big 12 standings. The Sooners improved to 22-4 overall and 12-3 in Big 12 play, while Kansas fell to 16-9 and 6-8.

The Sooners and No. 17-ranked Longhorns collide on Saturday in Norman.

OU improved to 19-0 this season when scoring at least 80 points.

Oklahoma led by six at 80-74 with 5:18 to play and seemed on the verge of pulling away. The Sooners sent Liz Scott at the free throw line shooting two with a two-point lead and just 1:30 to go, but she missed both as Kansas continued to stay within striking distance.

But after another defensive stop, Williams got fouled on a drive to the bucket and sank two freebies with 37 seconds left for an 84-80 lead.

OU got one more stop and sent Llanusa to the free throw line with 8.9 seconds to go, as she made both for an 86-80 lead.

Kansas was scoreless over the last 3:12 as the Sooners cranked up the defense.

Oklahoma came out scorching hot, with 27 points on 47 percent shooting in the first quarter and 23 on 59 percent shooting in the second quarter.

That included 15 first-half points from Williams as she made 6-of-8 from the field.

But Kansas was up to the task, shooting 57 percent in the first half, which included 6-of-10 from 3-point range.

That offensive precision allowed the Jayhawks to open the second quarter on an 8-0 run and build a 35-27 lead early in the period.

But the Sooners closed the first half on a 23-11 run and led 50-46 at halftime.

Published Feb 19, 2023

JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.