Oklahoma Women's Basketball battled back, overcame deficits, and secured a crucial road victory against a ranked Alabama team
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Down in Alabama on Sunday, our No. 10 Oklahoma Sooners showed that classic Oklahoma fight, pulling out a hard-fought 79-71 victory over the 23rd-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide.
It wasn't pretty the whole way — they missed shots early, turned the ball over too much, and had to battle back every time Bama made a run — but that's what makes this team special. They didn't quit, and they found a way to get it done when it mattered most.
Raegan Beers led the charge with 21 points, dominating inside and pulling down key rebounds. Payton Verhulst chipped in 17 points, hitting big shots when we needed 'em.
But let's talk about freshman sensation Aaliyah Chavez. The kid from New Mexico dropped nine of her 15 points in the fourth quarter alone, along with six rebounds and six assists for the game. She buried a huge three-pointer late and iced it with free throws in the final minutes. That's the kind of poise you love to see from a young player wearing crimson and cream.
The Sooners (now 19-6 overall, 7-5 in the SEC) jumped out to double-digit leads three different times, but Alabama kept clawing back — cutting it to four or less each time. Bama even surged ahead 57-54 in the third quarter after an 18-4 run that flipped the script from their early deficit.
But the defense locked in late.
Alabama went cold, hitting just three of their last 15 shots, and we outscored 'em 21-11 in the fourth to slam the door.
Offense wasn't clicking all day — Oklahoma started 1-for-6 from the field, shot only 23% from deep, and struggled at the line (58%). Nineteen turnovers gave Alabama 15 easy points, which kept things close.
But the Sooners owned the glass.
Fourteen offensive rebounds turned into 19 second-chance points, and we finished plus-20 on the boards overall.
Alabama (20-6, 6-6 in the SEC) had a balanced attack — Ta'Mia Scott dropped 17, and Jessica Timmons and Ace Austin each had 11. Six players scored at least eight points, which made 'em tough to guard. They wanted that second top-10 win of the season bad, but we weren't having it.This one's extra sweet because in conference play, every road win in this league feels like a statement.
UP NEXT: The Sooners head to Athens to take on Georgia on Thursday, in another tough SEC road test.