'A lot to figure out': 3 takeaways from OU's 79-70 upset loss to Southern University

Editor's note: This story was edited at 12:37 p.m. Jan. 17 to reflect the proper spelling of Aleighyah Fontenot's first name.

Oklahoma (6-5) suffered a 79-70 loss to Southern University (2-9) on Friday in Norman, extending its losing streak to three games.

Senior guard Aubrey Joens led OU's offense vs the Jaguars, scoring 18 points off the bench and grabbing three rebounds.

Final | SU 79, OU 70

— Oklahoma Basketball (@OU_WBBall) December 22, 2023

The Sooners finished the contest shooting 44% from the field and 39% from 3-point range. They also outrebounded the Jaguars 42-31 during the game.

Here are three takeaways from OU’s loss:

Sooners crumble in crunch time

Despite leading for most of the contest, the Sooners crumbled when it mattered most.

Oklahoma failed to score a basket in the final 3:32 of the game, which allowed the Jaguars to clinch a nine point victory. OU also scored a game-low 12 points in the fourth quarter, while shooting 33% from the field and an even worse 17% mark from 3-point range.

Compounded with its inefficient shot making, OU also turned the ball over 27 times with 10 of them coming in the fourth quarter. The Sooners have committed 61 turnovers during its three-game losing streak.

As a result, the Jaguars scored 22 points off of the Sooners’ miscues and ended the game on a 9-0 run. Southern guards Aleighyah Fontenot, Chloe Fleming and Aniya Gourdine each finished the game with three steals.

Junior guard Payton Verhulst had the most turnovers on the Sooners with eight, followed by freshman forward Sahara Williams with five. Verhulst racked up the most in the fourth period with three.

“This is a really, really hard one,” OU head coach Jennie Baranczyk said in a radio interview postgame. “We’ve got a lot to figure out, especially as we head into Big 12 play. We will. There’s just a lot that’s leaving me speechless right now. I feel like we just got a little bit tight and too anxious at the end, and that’s got to be on me and I’ve got to be able to figure out how to coach us a little bit better. … There’s sometimes where we’re just tanking a little bit too much.” 

OU struggles at the charity stripe

A saving grace for the Sooners in the first half was their free throw shooting.

OU went 7-for-7 from the line in the first half after the Jaguars fouled them four times.

The second half was a different story for the Sooners, however. OU went 6-for-16 on free throws, which was a 50% decline from the previous half.

It's rainin' inside & out ☂️ pic.twitter.com/iWjhtOOrMT

— Oklahoma Basketball (@OU_WBBall) December 22, 2023

In all, OU ended the game 13-for-24 from the line. Southern, on the other hand, went 15-for-19 from the line, with 10 of them coming in the second half alone. A 25% difference in accuracy that nudged the Lady Jags ahead of OU.

“It’s hard to win a game when you’re shooting 50% from the free throw line,” Baranczyk commented in a radio interview postgame. “This is 100% coaching and we’ve got to inspire players more.” 

 Vann and Joens provide beacon of hope

Despite the loss, senior forward Skylar Vann and Joens remained consistent options for OU’s offense.

Joens, who went scoreless in Oklahoma’s 61-52 loss vs. North Carolina on Dec. 19, shot 5-for-9 from the floor. It’s the 10th time this season that she has scored in double-digits, which is more than any other player on OU’s roster.

Vann finished with 15 points, five rebounds and one assist for the Sooners. Vann was pulled from the game in the fourth quarter, however, after taking an elbow to her head. The only other OU player to score over 10 points was Reyna Scott, who finished with 12 points off the bench.

Next, Oklahoma will open Big 12 play vs. UCF (9-1) at 2 p.m. on Saturday in Norman on ESPN+.

This story was edited by Jason Batacao.