Sooners Earn First SEC Win in Thriller on Rocky Top

Sunday, January 5

Thompson-Boling Arena • Knoxville, Tenn.

2 PM CT

University of Oklahoma

13-2,1-1SEC

Tennessee

13-1,1-1SEC

Oklahoma

Tennessee

Photo by: Brendall Vargas/University of Oklahoma

Sooners Earn First SEC Win in Thriller on Rocky Top

January 05, 2025 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Final Book Photo Gallery

By: OU Athletics Communications

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Payton Verhulst scored 16 points including two free throws with 50 seconds left in the game to help No. 9 Oklahoma hold on for an 87-86 win over No. 15 Tennessee on Sunday.

The Volunteers (13-1, 1-1 in Southeastern Conference) rallied from a 19-point third-quarter deficit. They scored eight points in the final 1:15 of the game, led by two 3-pointers from Jewel Spear, who finished with 28 points. Sara Puckett's 3-point attempt with five seconds left that would have won the game for Tennessee missed.

The Sooners (13-2, 1-1) got 13 points and eight rebounds from Raegan Beers and 11 points each from Reyna Scott and Liz Scott.

Samara Spencer and Talaysia Cooper each scored 16 for Tennessee. Ruby Whitehorn had 13.

TAKEAWAYS

Oklahoma: The Sooners were a dominant presence in the Big 12 Conference for years. Now, Oklahoma is just a part of the upper tier of the Southeastern Conference top-heavy with talent. Beers, a 6-foot-4 junior post, has been a cornerstone of the transition.

Tennessee: The big question is: How will coach Kim Caldwell's run-and-gun high-octane offense fit in against SEC competition? It may take a while to get a firm answer, but she has had success at many different levels before this stop.

KEY MOMENT

Oklahoma stretched the lead to double digits for the first time midway through the third quarter. Lexy Keys hit back-to-back 3-pointers to spark a 17-3 run for a 65-47 lead.

KEY STAT

Both teams substituted liberally in a fast-paced game. Oklahoma's bench outscored Tennessee, 45-9.

UP NEXT

Oklahoma travels to Mississippi State while Tennessee plays host to No. 6 LSU, both on Thursday night.

POSTGAME NOTES

• In its first-ever road game in the Southeastern Conference, Oklahoma held off a late Tennessee run to win its first SEC game, 87-86, on Sunday in Knoxville.

• Leading 46-39 at the break, the Sooners outpaced Tennessee 29-20 in the third quarter, growing the lead to 19 with 3:49 left in the frame. But the Lady Vols answered with a strong run in the final minutes to cut OU's lead to one before UT's Sara Puckett missed a 3-pointer in the final seconds to deliver OU the win.

• The win improved the Sooners to 1-1 in conference play, extending its streak of seasons without an 0-2 league start to 26 seasons. It also kept Oklahoma perfect (4-0) in true road games this season.

• The victory over the 15^th-ranked Lady Vols marked head coach Jennie Baranczyk's 14^th ranked win at Oklahoma, and ninth over a top-15 opponent. The win was OU's 10^th top-25 conference win under Baranczyk (2021-present).

• Four Sooners scored in double figures, led by Payton Verhulst's 16 points (four 3PM). Raegan Beers added 13 points and eight rebounds, while Reyna Scott and Liz Scott each finished with 11 points off the bench.

• Nevaeh Tot dished out a team-high eight assists, as the Sooners tallied 25 assists, reaching the mark for the fifth time this season.

• Oklahoma shot 54.0% (34 of 63) in the win, and held the Lady Vols to 45.7% (37 of 81). The Sooners outrebounded Tennessee 42-33, and held UT, who entered the day leading the nation in offensive rebounds, to just 12 boards on the offensive glass.

• OU's bench outscored Tennessee's by 36 points (45-9) in the win. The Sooners entered the day ranked eighth nationally in bench PPG (34.1).