Oklahoma
Johnson scores career-high 20, Verhulst dominates, No. 23 Oklahoma women top No. 21 Baylor 84-73
NORMAN, Okla. — Sophomore Kiersten Johnson had a career-high 20 points off the bench, Payton Verhulst had a double-double and No. 23 Oklahoma pulled away from No. 21 Baylor in the fourth quarter to win its ninth straight, 84-73 on Wednesday night.
The Bears scored nine-straight points to pull within 72-68 midway through the fourth but Skylar Vann hit two baskets and Johnson made a layup to quickly push the lead back to 10. Baylor committed three-straight turnovers, which offset a string of six-straight baskets.
The last Baylor basket was a 3-pointer by Jana Van Gytenbeek that made it 80-73 with 2:12 to play but the Bears missed their last three shots.
Verhulst had 16 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and five blocks for the Sooners (18-6, 12-1 Big 12 Conference), who are 4-3 against ranked teams. Nevaeh Tott and Sahara Williams both had 14 points and Vann had 10.
The last time the Sooners were 12-1 in league play was the 2008-09 season when they finished 15-1 and made the Final Four.
Sarah Andrews had 14 points for Baylor (18-6, 7-6), which is 5-3 in top-25 games. Dre’una Edwards and Van Gytenbeek both had 13 points.
Five different players scored when Oklahoma ran off 11-straight points to take at 13-3 lead but Yaya Felder and Edwards combined for nine points to get Baylor back within 13-12. Johnson, whose previous career high was 12, scored Oklahoma’s last 10 points of the first quarter to take a 21-19 lead.
Edwards hit a 3-pointer that put Baylor up 24-21 but the Sooners had a 10-2 run and ended up on top 35-29 at the half.
Oklahoma had a 24-14 rebounding advantage at the break but also had 10 turnovers. The Sooners were 1 of 12 from 3-point range but had 20 points in the paint. Baylor was 4 of 12 from 3 but 7 of 20 inside the arc.
The Sooners found the range from long distance in the third quarter, going 5 of 10 on 3s, and 5 of 10 inside the arc and stretched the lead to 64-51. Baylor only shot 6 of 21 by made 8 of 8 from the foul line.
Oklahoma is at No. 24 West Virginia on Saturday, Texas Tech is at Baylor on Sunday when the Bears will retire former star Brittney Griner’s number.
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OKLAHOMA CITY, (KOKH) — Oklahoma City police responded to a fatal shooting in the 2600 block of N. Kelly Friday evening.
According to OKCPD, the shooting occurred at around 6:20 p.m.
When officers arrived, they located one adult male with gunshot wounds at the scene. The victim was transported to a nearby hospital where he later died during surgery.
Police believe the shooting was a result of a verbal argument that escalated into a fistfight and then a shooting.
The suspect has been taken into custody and transported to police headquarters for questioning.
This is a developing story; please check back for updates.
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Oklahoma State Cowboys (9-0) vs. Oklahoma Sooners (6-3)
Oklahoma City; Saturday, 1 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Oklahoma takes on Oklahoma State at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
The Sooners are 6-3 in non-conference play. Oklahoma is 1-0 in games decided by less than 4 points.
The Cowboys are 9-0 in non-conference play. Oklahoma State ranks eighth in the Big 12 with 16.9 assists per game led by Jaylen Curry averaging 5.1.
Oklahoma averages 84.7 points, 8.3 more per game than the 76.4 Oklahoma State gives up. Oklahoma State scores 16.3 more points per game (91.3) than Oklahoma gives up to opponents (75.0).
TOP PERFORMERS: Nijel Pack is scoring 17.2 points per game with 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists for the Sooners. Tae Davis is averaging 13.3 points and 6.8 rebounds while shooting 53.3%.
Vyctorius Miller is averaging 15.9 points for the Cowboys. Parsa Fallah is averaging 14.6 points.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
The Oklahoma Sooners are trying to finish the 2025 college football season with a championship run that begins with a first-round playoff matchup with the Alabama Crimson Tide on Dec. 19 in Norman. After a 10-2 season, the Sooners found out during the SEC schedule reveal when they’ll play their 2026 opponents.
New to the SEC schedule this year is a nine-game conference slate. Also, Oklahoma will begin at least a four-year stretch with permanent rivals Texas, Missouri, and Ole Miss.
The Sooners open the season with nonconference matchups against UTEP, Michigan, and New Mexico. Michigan will be breaking in a new head coach after the surprising dismissal of Sherrone Moore.
Oklahoma will go on the road for their first conference game, taking on the defending SEC champion Georgia Bulldogs on Sept. 26. That marks the first time the Sooners will play in Athens for the first time in the history of the program. The Bulldogs own the only win in the series, which came in the infamous 2017 Rose Bowl. If the Sooners were to play the Dawgs in the 2025 College Football Playoff, it would come in the national championship game.
After the trip to Georgia, Oklahoma will have its only bye week of the season before facing the Texas Longhorns in the Red River Showdown on Oct. 10 in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas. The Sooners will return home to play the Kentucky Wildcats on Oct. 17. Kentucky will have a first-time head coach in Will Stein, leading the Wildcats to Norman for the first time since 1980.
Then, Oklahoma will go to Starkville to take on former offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby and the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Oct. 24 before closing the month welcoming another former assistant in Shane Beamer and the South Carolina Gamecocks on Oct. 31.
Then begins the month that will decide the Sooners’ College Football Playoff fates. They’ll open November with a road trip to the Swamp to take on the Florida Gators on Nov. 7. The last time the Sooners took on the Gators, Oklahoma earned a 55-20 win in the 2020 Alamo Bowl.
The Sooners will then return home on Nov. 14 to take on the Ole Miss Rebels in Norman for the second year in a row. Oklahoma lost a heartbreaker to the Rebels at the end of October, but that gave way to a magical November run that catapulted the Sooners into the College Football Playoff.
After the Rebels come to town, the Sooners will welcome the Texas A&M Aggies on Nov. 21. Texas A&M hasn’t been to Norman since a 41-25 win by Oklahoma. Landry Jones threw for 255 yards and two touchdowns, and Blake Bell ran for two scores out of the Belldozer package.
The Sooners will then close the season on the road against the Missouri Tigers. The former Big 8 and Big 12 foes have split their two contests as members of the SEC, each team winning at home. Oklahoma owns a decisive 68-25-5 record over the Tigers dating back to 1902.
There will be big expectations for the Sooners coming off of a 10-2 season and a College Football Playoff berth. They’ll bring back a lot of talent from this year’s roster, but 2026 will provide new challenges.
Oklahoma Sooners 2026 Schedule
- Sept. 5 vs. UT-El Paso Miners in Norman, Okla.
- Sept. 12 at Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Sept. 19 vs. New Mexico Lobos in Norman, Okla.
- Sept. 26 at Georgia Bulldogs in Athens, Georgia
- Oct. 3 BYE WEEK
- Oct. 10 vs. Texas Longhorns in Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas
- Oct. 17 vs. Kentucky Wildcats in Norman, Okla.
- Oct. 24 at Mississippi State Bulldogs in Starkville, Miss.
- Oct. 31 vs. South Carolina Gamecocks in Norman, Okla.
- Nov. 7 at Florida Gators in Gainesville, Fla.
- Nov. 14 vs. Ole Miss Rebels in Norman, Okla.
- Nov. 21 vs. Texas A&M Aggies in Norman, Okla.
- Nov. 28 at Missouri Tigers in Columbia, Missouri
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.
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