No. 13 Oklahoma (15-3, 3-2 SEC) defeated Missouri (11-9, 0-5 SEC) 80-63 on Thursday at the Lloyd Noble Center.
Just like old times 😏#BoomerSooner pic.twitter.com/WBK9aY97rg
— Oklahoma Basketball (@OU_WBBall) January 17, 2025
Here are three takeaways from the win:
Shooting improvement
During the season, the Sooners have struggled from three-point range. In its matchup against Texas A&M on Sunday, OU shot 24.2% from within the range. Against Missouri, Oklahoma shot 45.8%, making 11 of 24 three-pointers. Five Sooners were able to sink a three-pointer on Thursday. Senior guard Payton Verhulst and redshirt senior guard Nevaeh Tot had the most on the team. Verhulst made six, and Tot made two from within the range.
On the floor, OU made 28 of 54 attempts, achieving a 51.9% field goal percentage. This is the fourth highest shooting percentage this season and the highest during conference play.
We ❤️ Sahara the Shooter@sahara_w32 // 📺 SECN+ pic.twitter.com/Yf4k3feRgY
— Oklahoma Basketball (@OU_WBBall) January 17, 2025
Hardworking defense
On defense, Oklahoma played good man-on-man coverage. The Sooners held the Tigers to a field goal percentage of 37.9%, only allowing Missouri to make 22 of 58 baskets. The Tigers are ranked seventh in the nation in three-point shooting with an average percentage of 38.3%. In the first half of the game, Oklahoma held Missouri to four of 12 three-pointers, shooting under its average percentage at 33.3%. By the end of the game, the Tigers made seven of 21 three-pointers, shooting 33.3%.
The Sooners forced the Tigers to turn over the ball 18 times, gaining 23 points as a result. Oklahoma also had seven steals on defense. Redshirt senior guard Lexy Keys was responsible for three.
Against Missouri, Oklahoma gave up fewer free-throw attempts (16) than in previous games. In its matchups against Texas A&M and Mississippi State, OU gave up 29 and 23 free-throw attempts, respectively. So far in conference play, the team’s only opponent to shoot less at the free-throw line was No. 15 Tennessee with seven attempts.
“Missouri makes you work, and they expose you,” head coach Jennie Baranczyk said. “So you have to be able to guard the three, and you have to be able to guard off the bounce. There’s a lot of opponents where you only have to do one or the other, and these guys make you work for it. They’ll set 17 screens in one possession that you have to work through, and you have to communicate.”
Payton Verhulst took over
Verhulst was the top scorer on Thursday. In the first half, Verhulst had 15 points. In the second half, she doubled that number. In the third quarter, she had scored more points by herself (20) than Missouri did combined (15).
Due to an injury against Texas A&M, junior center Raegan Beers only played a total of nine minutes and 53 seconds. This forced her teammates, like Verhulst, to step up when she was not on the floor.
Verhulst completed 13 of 19 attempts from the field, six of nine within the three-point range and did not miss from the free-throw line, making six of six. She finished her night recording a career-high 38 points with three rebounds. 38 points is also the most by a Sooner this season.
“I think it came from the offense, like the looks,” Verhulst said. “A lot of times, maybe it didn’t look like it because I’ve been settling more for threes. And I thought in this game, I was able to get easier looks and get to the paint, and it’s because my teammates are setting me up.”
Payton in the 3rd: 20 pointsMissouri in the 3rd: 15 points#BoomerSooner // @payton_verhulst pic.twitter.com/3mbYsofCia
— Oklahoma Basketball (@OU_WBBall) January 17, 2025
Next, Oklahoma will face No. 2 South Carolina (16-1, 4-0 SEC) at 2 p.m. on Sunday at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina on ESPN.
What channel is Oklahoma vs. Missouri on today?
TV channel: SEC Network+
Start time: 6 p.m.
Location: Lloyd Noble Center
Notes: Junior center Raegan Beers, who left the game early due to an injury against Texas A&M, is a probability for tonight’s game. She has not practiced since Sunday.
Oklahoma women’s basketball schedule
Nov. 4: Oklahoma 76, Southern 44
Nov. 8: Oklahoma 95, Virginia 51
Nov. 13: Oklahoma 122, Western Carolina 56
Nov. 19: Oklahoma 79, Wichita State 49
Nov. 22: Oklahoma 88, UNLV 58
Nov. 25: Oklahoma 85, DePaul 62
Nov. 27: Duke 109, Oklahoma 99
Dec. 4: Oklahoma 78, Louisville 72
Dec. 8: Oklahoma 110, Alabama State 46
Dec. 15: Oklahoma 94, Oral Roberts 54
Dec. 17: Oklahoma 72, Michigan 62
Dec. 22: Oklahoma 111, Omaha 65
Dec. 29: Oklahoma 82, New Mexico State 64
Jan. 2: Texas 80, Oklahoma 73
Jan. 5: Oklahoma 87, Tennessee 86
Jan. 9: Mississippi State 81, Oklahoma 77
Jan. 12: Oklahoma 77, Texas A&M 62
Jan. 16: vs. Missouri at 6 p.m. (TV: SEC Network)
Jan. 19: at South Carolina at 2 p.m. (TV: ESPN or ESPN2)
Jan. 26: vs. Georgia at 1:30 p.m. (TV: SEC Network)
Jan. 30: at LSU at 6 p.m. (TV: ESPN2)
Feb. 2: vs. Kentucky at 3 p.m. (TV: SEC Network)
Feb. 6: at Mississippi at 6:30 p.m. (TV: SEC Network)
Feb. 10: vs. Auburn at 7 p.m. (TV: SEC NEtwork)
Feb. 16: at Missouri at 1 p.m. (TV: SEC Network)
Feb. 20: vs. Vanderbilt at 6 p.m. (TV: SEC Network)
Feb. 23: at Arkansas at 2 p.m. (TV: SEC Network)
Feb. 27: at Florida at 6 p.m. (TV: SEC Network)
March 2: vs. Alabama at 1:30 p.m. (TV: SEC Network)
This story was edited by Josh McDaniel.
