No. 13 Oklahoma handles Mizzou WBB 80-63

This renewed Big 8 rivalry goes the way of the Sooners

Mizzou (11-9, 0-5 SEC) held tight in the first half, hanging with the superior No. 13 Oklahoma (15-3, 3-2 SEC), trailing by seven at the half. But all that hard work went away in a flash, as the Sooners put together an 11-0 run to open the quarter. The home team held that lead the rest of the way, pulling out the win 80-63.

Both teams spent the first quarter struggling to set up their offenses. They combined for 12 turnovers, leading to easy opportunities the other way. But it was the home team who made the most of its chances, as Oklahoma opened a 9-point lead at the end of the quarter. Ashton Judd kept the team hanging around with six early points, including a triple.

The turnovers continued for Oklahoma, as the Tigers forced eight in the second quarter alone. This resulted in plenty of chances for Mizzou, leading to 16 shot attempts. Laniah Randle (12) and Grace Slaughter (9) led the Tigers in scoring for the half as Mizzou trailed 39-32.

Oklahoma controlled the third quarter, outscoring Mizzou 24-15. All the damage was done by Payton Verhulst, scoring 20 points in the quarter alone on a perfect 6-6 from the field and 2-2 from three. As a whole she finished with 38 points on 13-19 FG and 6-9 on threes.

The Sooners rode that momentum the rest of the game, knocking off the Tigers 80-63 in this revived Big 8 rivalry.

For the margin, you really wouldn’t guess this game was close from the stats. While OU had the advantage, Mizzou hung close in practically every category. It really just came down to making shots and the Sooners got better looks with efficient passing.

Mizzou finished 38% from the field with 11 assists while Oklahoma finished 52% on 22 assists.

Randle and Slaughter finished as the only Tigers in double figures, combining for 32 points. Randle finished just short of another double-double with 9 rebounds. She has compiled five across her time as a Tiger.

After another disasterous start to SEC play, Mizzou finds themselves tied for last place in the SEC. The only other winless team is Auburn (9-9, 0-5 SEC), who they will play on the road on Sunday at 2 p.m. on SEC Network +.

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