Mississippi entered Sunday’s matchup expecting to take advantage of OU’s lack of size and interior defense.
The game plan was evident from the jump, as Mississippi utilized forwards Madison Scott and Snudda Collins early on. But OU came prepared, as it held Scott to just two points on 1-for-7 shooting and forced her into two turnovers. Collins scored 16 points, all of which came via 3-pointers or free throws.
“I think we did a better job playing as a team,” said Oklahoma head coach Jennie Baranczyk. “Sometimes, especially at the beginning of the season when you’re trying new things, you get locked into your person or your action. I thought today we did a great job of being able to have five of us guard the basketball.”
Junior forward Skylar Vann made a crucial stop Sunday when she knocked the ball loose on the defensive end, leading to a 3-pointer from junior guard Nevaeh Tot to extend OU’s lead to six with three minutes to play.
#Sooners up 63-57 with 2:45 left in the game. Get to a screen now! https://t.co/wG5kgKFEMd pic.twitter.com/xdyKEfdkok
— Oklahoma Basketball (@OU_WBBall) December 4, 2022
Oklahoma finished with four blocks and nine steals and allowed just 26 points in the paint.
“What impressed me the most is even when we had good looks (and missed), we didn’t hang our head, we got back on the other end and played defense,” Baranczyk said. “There were a lot of times where we blew a layup in the full court (but) we came down and got a stop. A few weeks ago we’d blow a layup, (we) can’t let it go, and they’d come down and … score.”
Dominance in the paint propelled Oklahoma (7-1) to a 69-59 victory over Mississippi (7-2), its first victory over a Power Five opponent this season. Though Mississippi set out to slow down the Sooners’ fast-paced offense, OU scored 18 points off the fast break compared to Mississippi’s seven.
“We play fast naturally as a team,” said senior Madi Williams, who scored ten points on 4-of-12 shooting. “(They) were kinda throwing us off a little bit, but I think we’ve done a good job preparing for the pressure that they bring and how good of a defensive team they are by moving without the ball and keeping (our) pace.”
Here are two additional takeaways from the Sooners’ win:
Rebounding proves key
Baranczyk knew rebounding would be key to OU’s success against the rising opponent in Mississippi.
Mississippi entered the game averaging 18 offensive rebounds per game, ranked ninth nationally. OU held Mississippi to a season-low with 11 offensive rebounds and pulled down 15 themselves, including one from Kennady Tucker who capped a four-point possession.
Sky gets the first, misses the second but @kennadydanielle rebounds it and @T_Rob30 buries the threeeee! https://t.co/o9zMONqk4I pic.twitter.com/UvJ5rLwWZD
— Oklahoma Basketball (@OU_WBBall) December 4, 2022
The play marked the beginning of a 13-2 run as the Sooners went on to close out the game.
The Sooners then outrebounded Mississippi 14-5 in the fourth quarter. Senior Madi Williams led with eight boards, followed by Vann with seven. OU won the rebounding battle 48-34 and conceded 11 offensive rebounds, a season-low mark for Mississippi.
“I think the rebounding part was absolutely huge,” Baranczyk said. “I really love the way that we rebounded in that fourth quarter … and when we do that, it’s so much fun.
Sharing the wealth
While senior Taylor Robertson faced uncharacteristic shooting struggles, other Sooners were called on to step up.
Early on, the production came through senior guard Ana Llanusa, who scored 12 points on 5-for-8 shooting in the first half. Llanusa entered the contest averaging just 8.3 points per game, a significant decrease from her 17.3 points per game in the 10 matchups she appeared in last season.
“I thought Ana really kept us in the game (in) the first half,” Baranczyk said. “We didn’t have a lot of people necessarily cutting to the basket, (but) Ana does that. She’s just willing to do whatever it takes, whenever.
Llanusa was one of four OU players to score double-digit points in the contest. Oklahoma shot 42.6% from the field compared to Mississippi’s 36%.
“I think that’s what makes this team really unique … we can have people in double figures that you would never think would be in double figures,” Baranczyk said. “What’s gonna be really scary for people is if we continue to do that … and defend and grow in those moments of separating one possession from the other possession … we’re gonna be playing our best basketball when we need to be.”
Next, OU will take on Robert Morris at 12 p.m. on Dec. 11 in Norman.
