No. 4 seed OU women’s basketball (26-8) saw its NCAA Tournament run end with a 94-68 Sweet 16 loss to top-seeded South Carolina (34-3) at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
The Gamecocks got their revenge against the Sooners after OU upset then-No. 2 South Carolina, 94-82 in overtime, on Jan. 22. South Carolina entered Saturday’s game 33-1 when leading at halftime this season, with its lone loss coming against OU. This time, the game was never close. The Gamecocks held the nation’s No. 4 scoring offense in check and led by at least 15 points in every quarter after taking a 10-point first-quarter advantage.
“A great shooting game for them. We had lots of careless turnovers, I feel like, in that first half that we could have avoided that,” Senior center Raegan Beers said postgame. “We kind of did that to ourselves … That's kind of how I think they got their first punch.”
With the Sooners’ season over, three players appeared in their final game in crimson and cream on Saturday. Seniors guard Payton Verhulst and centers Beers and Beatrice Culliton all celebrated Senior Night on Feb. 26 in Norman and shared the court for the final time together in Sacramento. The trio spent two seasons together in Norman and served as mentors for a young OU team that featured seven underclassmen.
When Beers was subbed out for the final time in her collegiate career, she embraced head coach Jennie Baranczyk in tears, drawing a standing ovation from the OU fans who made the trip to Sacramento.
“Just a quick hug afterwards to say thank you for all she's done for me, all she's done for this program,” Beers said. “Obviously, she's impacted my life a lot, and this team has as well. So just pure gratitude for the place that I'm in with these people.”
During her time at OU, Beers helped deliver the most success Baranczyk has seen in her five-year tenure. OU reached back-to-back Sweet 16s and posted a combined 53-16 record over Beers’ two seasons with the program.
The All-SEC center finished Saturday with 14 points and eight rebounds and led the season in rebounds, blocks and field goal percentage. She also ranked second in scoring behind freshman guard Aaliyah Chavez. Over her OU career, Beers topped 1,000 points and 600 rebounds, while finishing her four-year career with more than 2,000 points and 1,200 rebounds.
“20 to 30 years from now, I don't think I'm going to necessarily remember who we beat, who we lost to … maybe I will, but I don't think anybody else will,” said Beers. “ I'm going to remember the relationships that I have made from my time at Oregon State, in my time here, the coaching staff at Oregon State …, the people that have just impacted my life in a really phenomenal way, making me not only a better basketball player but a better person, and I really appreciate Oklahoma for doing that. And just helping me be the strong woman that I'm going to take into my career in the WNBA.”
Verhulst also received a standing ovation after checking out for the final time. The veteran guard scored 12 points with three rebounds, one assist and two blocks against South Carolina.
“I came to Oklahoma from Louisville and just wanted the opportunity to play basketball at whatever level it was,” Verhulst said. “I'm just grateful to have been able to now raise the level of Oklahoma and where they're going to be at, so I think that's just where the gratitude and looking back on it comes from.”
Over her five-year career, Verhulst recorded more than 1,400 points, 600 rebounds and 300 assists, including more than 1,000 points in three seasons in Norman. She was a key part of OU’s success over the last three seasons, helping OU reach three NCAA Tournaments and post a 76-26 record during that span, including five wins in March Madness.
Of the three seniors, Culliton spent the most time in Norman, playing all four of her collegiate seasons under Baranczyk and reaching the NCAA Tournament each year. She recorded a rebound and a steal in two minutes against South Carolina and finished her career with more than 300 points, 300 rebounds and 100 assists.
While this chapter has ended for Baranczyk’s current group, a strong future remains for a young OU team that will lose only three players to graduation.
Chavez showcased that future Saturday. The All-SEC guard and national freshman of the year led the Sooners with 21 points and three assists in 37 minutes. She averaged 18 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists over OU’s three NCAA Tournament games and finished as the team’s leading scorer for the season while playing the most minutes on the roster.
“I think what this team has really taught (Chavez) and what you want her to take away is how amazing of a person she really is, where she's independent and strong,” Baranczyk said. “She's learning to be a leader. She's learning just to have a really cool friend group that's your team, that is people that tell you the truth, that people challenge you, that people love you and care about you. That's what I want her to take away. I want her to take away the hurt, the good, the positive, the bad, the learning opportunities. I want her to just continue to become a holistic person, because she's really, really special, and she's only going to get better at basketball.”
If junior forward Sahara Williams returns for her senior season, she should remain a major part of OU’s success on and off the court. Williams played a key role throughout the season and finished Saturday with nine points, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block while helping anchor the Sooners’ defense.
With a young core gaining valuable postseason experience, OU leaves Sacramento short of its goal but returns key contributors for next season.
This story was edited by Laurie Jones.
