Sooner stars shine on Senior Night with Chavez setting records, Verhulst and Beers surpass milestones in a dominant 89-44 rout over the Razorbacks
NORMAN, Okla. - The No. 7 Oklahoma Sooners women's basketball team delivered a commanding performance on Thursday night, defeating the Arkansas Razorbacks 89-44 at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman. This decisive victory marked the Sooners' fifth straight win and served as a fitting Senior Night celebration for key players Raegan Beers, Payton Verhulst, and Beatrice Culliton.
Aaliyah Chavez, the dynamic true freshman, led the charge with 16 points, showcasing her scoring prowess while adding four assists and two steals. Chavez also extended her remarkable streak to 49 consecutive made free throws, setting a new Southeastern Conference record. She surpassed 500 career points in the process, becoming just the fifth freshman in Oklahoma history to reach that milestone and the first since Aaryn Ellenberg in 2011.
Payton Verhulst contributed 14 points and five assists, while Raegan Beers added 11 points and 12 rebounds for her 64th career double-double. Beers' first basket of the game pushed her past 1,000 points in an Oklahoma uniform, making her the fifth Sooner to achieve 1,000 points across two seasons in Norman. She now sits just 38 points shy of 2,000 for her career and has recorded 19 double-doubles this season alone.
Freshman Brooklyn Stewart delivered an impressive first career double-double with 11 points and a season-high 15 rebounds, including eight offensive boards. She also blocked three shots and finished with a +21 plus-minus in only 22 minutes of play. Other contributors in double figures included Zya Vann (13 points, five rebounds, three steals) and Sahara Williams (12 points, nine rebounds, three assists).
Notably, all five Oklahoma starters reached double figures for the second consecutive game, underscoring the depth and balance of this squad, which ranks as the second-highest scoring starting five in the nation. The Sooners improved to 7-0 this season when all starters hit double digits.
Oklahoma's dominance was evident from the opening tip. The Sooners jumped out to a 7-0 lead and held a 23-12 advantage after the first quarter. An 18-5 run early in the second quarter ballooned the margin to 26 points, and they took a commanding 44-22 lead into halftime.
They limited Arkansas to just 29% shooting in the first half while outscoring the Razorbacks 12-0 from the free-throw line. Stewart was particularly active on the glass, matching Arkansas' entire first-half rebound total with her own efforts as Oklahoma grabbed 32 boards overall in the opening 20 minutes.
The second half brought more of the same. Oklahoma shot 50% from the field in the third quarter to push the lead to 65-36 entering the fourth. The Sooners then erupted with the first 16 points of the final period, leaving Arkansas scoreless until just 4:28 remained. Oklahoma held the Razorbacks without a field goal in the fourth quarter, outscoring them 45-22 in the second half overall. The final margin of 45 points stands as the second-largest in an SEC game for the Sooners this season (behind only a 48-point win over Mississippi State) and ranks as the third-largest conference victory since 2009.
Defensively, Oklahoma was stifling, holding Arkansas to a dismal 22.4% shooting (13-of-58) — the third-lowest mark by a conference opponent since 2009. The Razorbacks managed just 13 made field goals, the second-fewest by an OU SEC foe in the last 15 years. Arkansas, now 11-19 overall and 0-15 in the SEC, suffered its 16th straight loss, with no player reaching double figures. Leading scorer Taleyah Jones was limited to five points.
The Sooners excelled inside, outscoring Arkansas 50-12 in the paint, and forced 18 turnovers that led to 24 points. Oklahoma dished out 22 assists compared to Arkansas' five, highlighting their superior ball movement and team play.
Despite struggling from beyond the arc (3-of-22 on threes), the Sooners shot 45.9% overall from the field and improved to 16-1 this season when exceeding 45% shooting.
This win clinched the No. 5 seed for Oklahoma in next week's SEC Tournament in Greenville, South Carolina, marking double-digit conference victories in all five seasons under head coach Jennie Baranczyk. The senior trio of Beers, Verhulst, and Culliton — who have combined for over 275 games in crimson and cream — were honored postgame, having helped guide the program to the NCAA Tournament every year of their careers.
All three scored in the contest, with Culliton adding a pair of free throws in the fourth.
Oklahoma improved to 22-6 overall and 10-5 in the SEC with the victory and remains in strong position for a top-16 national seed and potential NCAA Tournament hosting rights.
UP NEXT: The Sooners wrap up the regular season on Sunday with a road trip to Missouri, tipping off at 3 p.m. CT on SEC Network+.
This dominant showing not only boosted morale heading into the postseason but also highlighted the blend of veteran leadership and emerging talent driving Oklahoma's success in a competitive conference.