No. 8 OU (12-1, 1-0 SEC) defeated Texas A&M (7-2, 0-1 SEC) 72-50 as conference play began.
Here are takeaways:
Sooner defense suffocates Aggies
OU stymied Texas A&M with an all-around defensive effort, marking the fifth time the Sooners have held an opponent to 50 points or fewer this season.
The Sooners’ recipe for victory came on the glass in addition to altering A&M’s shots, as OU outrebounded Texas A&M 63–35. Senior center Raegan Beers led the effort with 12 rebounds, followed by senior guard Payton Verhulst with 10 and sophomore guard Zya Vann with eight.
Texas A&M shot a season-low 26% (15 of 57) from the field, including 1 of 18 from beyond the arc. OU forced difficult looks without relying heavily on takeaways, finishing with eight steals and two blocks compared to the Aggies’ nine steals and five blocks.
The performance also marked the Sooners’ third of their last four games in which they held an opponent to 55 points or fewer.
Aaliyah Chavez leads the way
OU’s five-star freshman guard, Aaliyah Chavez, continued to lead the way offensively for the Sooners with 20 points on 8-of-18 shooting, including 3 of 8 from 3-point range.
Chavez also contributed seven rebounds and six assists in a night where some of her teammates struggled to find rhythm. Payton Verhulst finished with nine points on 3-of-13 shooting, while Zya Vann added two points on 1 of 10 from the field.
The freshman has now scored 20 points in back-to-back games and has reached that mark three times in the Sooners’ last four outings. Chavez continues to thrive as OU’s primary offensive engine, leading the team in scoring and assists, while ranking third nationally in points per game amongst freshmen.
Sooners prepare for tough competition
OU opened the new year with a crucial win over an unranked conference opponent, a situation the Sooners will not see often in January.
As OU enters SEC play, the challenge steepens quickly. The Sooners will face four ranked opponents this month, all inside the top 15. At home, OU is set to host No. 3 South Carolina, No. 5 LSU and No. 15 Mississippi, while a road matchup against No. 11 Kentucky rounds out the January slate.
Next, the Sooners face Mississippi State at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Lloyd Noble Center on SECN+.
This story was edited by Joshua McDaniel.
