No. 15 Oklahoma (16-4, 4-3 SEC) defeated Georgia (9-12, 1-6 SEC) 86-55 at the Lloyd Noble Center on Sunday.
We’re the big dawgs 🤐#BoomerSooner ☝️ pic.twitter.com/wdTxeDKi96
— Oklahoma Basketball (@OU_WBBall) January 26, 2025
Here are three takeaways from the win:
Fast moving offense
Throughout conference play, Oklahoma has struggled offensively. During its game against the Lady Bulldogs, the Sooners moved fast and gained 11 fastbreak points. The team communicated well, finishing with 19 total assists. During the season the team has averaged 22.1 assists per game.
posts who pass 😍@RaeganBeers // @lexy_keys2 pic.twitter.com/Nx7vcp0Yeb
— Oklahoma Basketball (@OU_WBBall) January 26, 2025
Oklahoma shot well from the floor, recording a field goal percentage of 46% completing 29 of its 63 shots. Against the Gamecocks last Sunday, the Sooners had a three-point percentage of 25% making seven of 28 attempts. They improved today against Georgia sinking eight of 23 three-pointers, with a percentage of 34.8%.
The Sooners also improved on turning over the ball. During the season, Oklahoma has averaged 19 turnovers per game. Against Georgia OU turned the ball over 17 times, compared to last week’s 22 turnovers against South Carolina.
“Some of our turnovers today are the ones that we need to get rid of, but I think they noticed the difference today more so than we’ve noticed the difference in the past,” head coach Jennie Baranczyk said. “I think it took us to really watch a lot of film, to really feel that out, to really see those days in practice.”
Key Players: Raegan Beers and Payton Verhulst
Junior center Raegan Beers and redshirt senior Payton Verhulst both led the Sooners against the Lady Bulldogs. Beers continued to play aggressively inside the paint and added to the defensive and offensive paint protection. The center achieved her eighth double-double this season making four of 11 attempts and went five of six from the free-throw line.
Beers finished her game with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Verhulst continued to play aggressively on both sides of the ball. On defense the guard had one block, one steal and four defensive rebounds. She completed five of 11 attempts and led the Sooners in three-pointers with three.
Verhulst finished the game with 13 points, four rebounds and two assists.
might wanna get back on 12@payton_verhulst // 📺 SECN+ pic.twitter.com/fTdrRbQ10O
— Oklahoma Basketball (@OU_WBBall) January 26, 2025
Hardworking defense
Oklahoma played with force on defense. This season the Lady Bulldogs have averaged 68 points per game, a field goal percentage of 41.9% and a 34.1% three-point shooting percentage.
Against the Sooners defense, Georgia shot 30.6% making 19 of 62 attempts. From the three-point range the Lady Bulldogs made only two of 17 threes giving them an 11.8% three-point shooting percentage, its lowest three-point percentage this season.
“I thought we did a pretty good job today on their guards,” Baranczyk said. “What I didn’t like necessarily is us playing post defense. I don’t think we responded as well to that. Part of that is we got in a lot of foul trouble, and so we had a lot of different looks, and we got to be able to pick that up.”
The Oklahoma defense forced Georgia to turn the ball over 19 times, allowing OU to achieve 16 points as a result. During the season, the Lady Bulldogs have averaged 16.2 turnovers per game.
Next, Oklahoma will travel to Baton Rouge and take on No. 5 LSU (20-1, 5-1 SEC) at 6 p.m. on Thursday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on ESPN 2.
Oklahoma 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: Oklahoma 80, Missouri 63
Jan. 19: South Carolina 101, Oklahoma 60
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)
