OU Basketball: Three Takeaways from Oklahoma's Win Over New Mexico State

The game was competitive early, but the Sooners pulled away to a comfortable victory in the second half.

Oklahoma forward Sahara Williams / William Purnell-Imagn Images

Oklahoma was tested in its final non-conference game of the season.

But the Sooners prevailed 82-64 on Sunday at Lloyd Noble Center, fueled by a 10-0 run to end the third quarter.

It was OU’s first game since Dec. 22.

“Were gonna take a lot of lessons from this one, especially on the defensive end,” coach Jennie Baranczyk said in the postgame TV interview. “ … We’re glad to get some of the Christmas rust off.”

No. 9-ranked OU improved to 12-1 overall, with their first year in the Southeastern Conference now lying just ahead. It was OU’s sixth win in a row.

NSMU (7-5) kept it close deep into the second half, with a bucket from Molly Kaizer pulling the Aggies to within 45-44 with 3 1/2 minutes to play in the third quarter.

But OU opened it up with a big run to close the third and later poured it on with another run late in the fourth quarter. The Sooners outscored the Aggies 51-38 in the second half.

OU has now won four of the six meetings in the series with NMSU.

All eyes, however, now turn to No. 5-ranked Texas, who visits Norman Thursday in an 8 p.m. showdown on ESPN2, before hitting the road at Tennessee next Sunday. The SEC includes eight teams in this week’s AP Top 25.

Here are three takeaways from Sunday’s win.

First cold, then hot

Oklahoma was cold from the perimeter in the first half. The Sooners made just 3-of-15 shots from 3-point range. 

OU’s 31 points at halftime was their second-lowest scoring half of the season, behind only the 29 they scored in the first half against Louisville.

But the Sooners quickly heated up in the second half.

OU led by five at the break, and New Mexico State took a 33-31 lead with a 6-0 run to start the second half.

That’s when Payton Verhulst started the Sooners’ perimeter barrage, burying a 3 to give the Sooners a 34-33 lead with 7:50 on the clock.

Sahara Williams added another at the 6:40 mark to give the Sooners a 39-35 lead.

NMSU answered each with a 3 of their own, but Verhulst pushed OU back to a 4-point lead, 42-38, with another trey with 6:19 showing.

Then at 4:26, Lexy Keys made her second 3 of the game to make it 45-40, and another transition 3 from Keys at the 2:40 mark made it 52-46.

From there, the Sooners got stops on five consecutive possessions for a 12-0 run that built OU a 59-46 lead. 

OU made 6-of-12 from 3-point range in the second half.

Inside the box score

Three Sooners hit double figure scoring before the game even went to the fourth quarter, continuing a trend of balanced scoring for Jennie Baranczyk’s club.

Center Raegan Beers led OU with 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting to go with 12 rebounds, her sixth double-double of the season. Beers also had four blocked shots.

Guard Payton Verhulst scored 15 on 6-of-13 shooting, including 3-of-8 from distance.

Forward Sahara Williams scored 18 points, 12 coming after halftime, on 7-of-15 shooting. 

Guard Lexy Keys scored 9 points with three 3s.

Nevaeh Tot didn’t score but had six assists and six rebounds.

OU leads the nation in assists at 23.5 per game and finished with 18.

Stat breakdown

Oklahoma really flexed its superiority Sunday in second-chance points, in the paint, and on points off turnovers.

The Sooners made a living in transition, so it was unexpected to see OU with just five fast-break points midway through the fourth quarter.

But OU put its size and strength advantages to use by getting 22 offensive rebounds (NMSU had seven) and producing 24 second-chance points (the Aggies put in just 2).

Most of all, Oklahoma was efficient after turnovers. Despite just six steals and 13 total NSMU turnovers, OU finished with 19 points off those turnovers.