Sooners Hold Off No. 20 Alabama on Senior Day

Sunday, March 2

Norman, Okla.

1:30 PM CT

University of Oklahoma

23-6,11-5SEC

Alabama

23-7,10-6SEC

Alabama

Oklahoma

Sooners Hold Off No. 20 Alabama on Senior Day

March 02, 2025 | Women's Basketball

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By: OU Athletics Communications

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Raegan Beers scored 22 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and battled through a third-quarter injury to lead No. 13 Oklahoma to a 91-84 win over No. 20 Alabama on Sunday to clinch the No. 5 seed into the Southeastern Conference tournament.

The Sooners finished their first season in the SEC on a seven-game win streak. Both teams will have a bye through the first round of the SEC that begins Wednesday in Greenville, S.C. Oklahoma, the No. 5 seed, and Alabama, the No. 6 each play a second-round game Thursday.

The teams battled to a 45-45 tie at intermission, but Oklahoma took the lead after Beers, a transfer from Oregon State, tipped in a Lexy Keys miss and added a free throw to make it 54-53 with seven minutes left and start a 9-0 run. Beers went down while battling for an offensive rebound with more than three minutes left in the quarter, clutching her knee and wincing in pain while the game continued. She got up gingerly and continued, grabbing three rebounds as she worked through the discomfort.

Alabama trailed by as many as 10 points late in the fourth quarter, but Sarah Ashlee Barker got to the line for two free throws and Karly Weathers scored at the basket then knocked down a 3 to get within five with under a minute left. Barker got to the basket for a layup to make 87-84 with :17 left but Payton Verhulst hit five straight free throws in the final minute to seal the win.

Verhulst finished with 24 points, hitting four 3-pointers and 6 of 7 at the line, to lead Oklahoma (23-6, 11-5). Sahara Williams added 15 points.

Zaay Green led Alabama (23-7, 10-6) with 27 points, six rebounds and five assists. Barker finished with 20, Aaliyah Nye 15 and Essence Cody 12.

The Sooners will take on the winner of the first-round game between Georgia and Arkansas, the No. 12 and 13 seed, respectively, at the SEC Tournament. Oklahoma's second-round game tips at approximately 12:30 p.m. CT on Thursday on SEC Network.

POSTGAME NOTES

• No. 13 Oklahoma won its seventh straight game on Sunday, defeating No. 20 Alabama, 91-84, at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman. With the win the Sooners (23-6, 11-5 SEC) secured the No. 5 seed at this week's SEC Tournament in Greenville, S.C., and will play the winner of the No. 12/13 seeded matchup between Georgia and Arkansas at approximately 12:30 p.m. CT on Thursday afternoon.

• The Sooners notched their seventh Quadrant 1 win of the season on Sunday, good for the fourth most in the country. The win over the top-20 Tide was OU's fourth ranked win of the season and 15^th in the last four years. Oklahoma's active seven-game winning streak is its longest since a nine-game surge in conference play last season. The Sooners haven't lost since a Feb. 2 defeat to then-No. 12 Kentucky, who OU would face in the SEC quarterfinal Friday if the Sooners win on Thursday.

• The program celebrated five seniors on Sunday – Aubrey Joens, Lexy Keys, Liz Scott, Nevaeh Tot and Skylar Vann – as Oklahoma's game marked senior day. The five helped deliver two conference titles and three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, with a fourth expected this season.

• Two Sooners scored 20+ points as Payton Verhulst led the way with 24 points, three rebounds and four assists, while Raegan Beers secured her 11^th double-double of the year with 22 points (8 of 9 FG) and 11 rebounds. Sahara Williams scored 15 points, reaching double figures for 17^th time this year and eighth time in 10 games.

• Oklahoma shot 46% on the afternoon and held the Crimson Tide to 40% as the Sooners improved to 82-4 over the last four seasons when outshooting their opponent. The Sooners scored 90 points for the 10^th time this season and moved to 16-3 when scoring 80 points.

• The Sooners have now posted back-to-back regular seasons with five wins over top-25 opponents and have reached 23 wins or more in all four seasons under head coach Jennie Baranczyk.

• Up next: Oklahoma will be the No. 5 seed at the SEC Tournament in Greenville, S.C., and take on the winner of Wednesday's game between No. 12 Georgia and No. 13 Arkansas. Tip for the Sooners' game on Thursday is set for approximately 12:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network.