NORMAN — Oklahoma successfully protected its home floor thanks to an incredible night from guard Payton Verhulst on Thursday.
She poured in 38 points to help power the No. 13-ranked Sooners past Missouri 80-63 at the Lloyd Noble Center.
Her performance tied Phylesha Whaley for the fifth-most points in a single game ever by a Sooner.
Madi Williams set the program record on Jan. 3, 2021 when she dropped 45 on West Virginia in Norman.
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With the win, Jennie Baranczyk’s team moved to 15-3 overall and 3-2 in SEC contests, while the Tigers fell to 11-9 and 0-5 in league play.
Final Box Score / OU Stats
Verhulst has had a lot of nice offensive nights in her career.
None were better than Thursday.
The senior guard scored her 38 points on 13-of-19 shooting from the floor and 6-of-9 from 3-point land.
“I have such incredibly high expectations for her that I feel like there are just so many things that she can do,” Baranczyk said of Verhulst. And it’s not always scoring, and today it was, but I think she’s just an incredible versatile player. And when she lets the game come to her like this, really special things happen.”
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Incredibly, 20 of those points came in the third quarter alone.
She shot a perfect 6-for-6 in the third, knocking down a pair of triples and getting to the free throw line six times.
Verhulst didn’t have to hunt her shot, either.
Missouri had no answer for the dynamic scorer, and she did all of her damage within the normal flow of the offense.
“Credit to everybody because I wouldn’t have gotten those shots or looks without the passes,” Verhulst said.
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After the game, Verhulst pointed to some work she did with OU associate head coach Jonas Chatterton to help unlock things on Thursday.
“He had reached out to me yesterday,” Verhulst said, “just looking back on some film and trying to give me some pointers on shots and what I Can do to just continue to be more efficient. And I think that was really helpful for me. When I have simple things to work on in a game, I think that’s good for me.”
Her previous career-high was a 32-point showing against Oral Roberts last year.
The big concern coming out of Sunday’s win over Texas A&M was the health of Raegan Beers.
Yesterday, Baranczyk was uncertain if the OU center would be cleared for action, but she started on Thursday against the Tigers
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Beers didn’t look to be in any extra discomfort in the first half, but she didn’t start the second half for the Sooners.
On Wednesday, Baranczyk said Beers would start if she was cleared to play, but she might carry a minutes restriction.
“I know she tried it today, obviously. You got to see her kind of try and we couldn’t have her in the second half,” Baranczyk said of Beers.
She entered the night averaging 21.7 minutes per game, but her night was done after playing 10 minutes in the first half.
Beers wasn’t needed in the second half, largely due to Verhulst’s heroics, but she’ll at least be an option on Sunday barring a setback.
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The Sooners never lost control in the first half, but the second quarter was sloppy.
OU turned the ball over eight times in the second frame, allowing the Tigers to slightly cut into the lead.
Any doubts about a slugging performance ahead of Sunday’s showdown with No. 2 South Carolina were immediately put to bed, however.
Fueled by nine quick points from Verhulst, Oklahoma sprinted out to an 11-0 run to start the second half, extending its lead to 18 points.
And while the Tigers were unable to do anything against Verhulst, the Sooners only turned the ball over three times in the third quarter, allowing the team to win the quarter 24-15.
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OU did lose center Liz Scott to a collision in the second half, which meant Verhulst’s work was even more important to keep the offense moving.
“She did a really nice job of being able to get some paint production for us,” Baranczyk said. “And I thought our whole team did.”
The hosts continued to take care of the basketball in the fourth quarter, a welcome sign from a team that has struggled to limit turnovers this season.
Now, the Sooners will head to take on South Carolina on Sunday at 2 p.m.
Christmas is nearly here, but are you done with Christmas shopping? You still have a few days left, and we know that so many people face the annual challenge of what to buy someone who has everything, or is hard to buy for.
News 9 spoke to Von Maur representative Mathew Burniga to learn how to wrap up your Christmas shopping.
NORMAN, Okla. — Derrion Reed scored 22 points, Xzayvier Brown finished with 18, and Oklahoma set the program’s single-game record for field-goal percentage on Monday night as the Sooners beat Stetson 107-54 on Monday night.
Oklahoma shot 67.8% (40 of 59) from the field and had its highest-scoring game since a 107-86 win over Arkansan-Pine Bluff on Nov. 30, 2023. The previous record was 66.1% (39 of 59) against Baylor on Feb. 26, 2005.
The Sooners made 12 of 24 from 3-point range, outrebounded Stetson 39-24, and outscored the Hatters 54-18 in the paint.
Mohamed Wague had 15 points and nine rebounds for Oklahoma and Tae Davis added 12 points and six assists. Kuol Atak and Nijel Pack each scored 11 points.
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Ethan Copeland, the only Stetson (4-9) player who scored in double figures, had 14 points.
Oklahoma (9-3) used runs of 15-3 and 10-2, the latter of which culminated with a Jadon Jones three-point play that gave the Sooners a 26-11 lead a little more than eight minutes into the game.
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Find more college sports coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
Another offensive lineman from Oklahoma’s heralded 2024 group of freshman has decided to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal.
Third-year sophomore tackle Isaiah Autry-Dent announced Monday on social media that he’ll be entering the portal when it opens on Jan. 2.
“I’m truly grateful for the incredible, life-changing experience I’ve had at the University of Oklahoma,” he wrote. “The dedication of the staff, the camaraderie with my teammates, and the unwavering support from the fans have made this journey unforgettable. I’ve learned lessons on and off the field that I will carry with me for the rest of my life, and I’m thankful for every moment, every challenge and every triumph along the way.”
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Dent added that he’s “given it a great deal of thought and prayed for guidance” but intends to leave OU with 3-4 years of eligibility remaining and is “excited about exploring new opportunities to continue growing as a player and as a person.”
After much prayer and family talks, I’ll enter the transfer portal on January 2 with three years of eligibility left. Thank you #SoonerNationpic.twitter.com/AM15EMHlHV
Dent was one of five offensive linemen signed in the 2024 class, and he’s the third one to leave, joining Eugene Brooks and Josh Aisosa. After just two seasons, only Eddy Pierre-Louis and Daniel Akinkunmi remain.
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Dent was listed at 304 pounds as a true freshman but in July checked in at 317 pounds — the biggest overall weight gain of any offensive player, which was a reflection of his hard work and dedication as the OU offensive line made an offseason mandate to get bigger and stronger.
Last spring, senior center Troy Everett was asked to assess Dent’s progress following his freshman season.
“Isaiah works hard,” Everett said. “Isaiah’s going to be great. Isaiah, right now, he’s just got to get comfortable when he’s out there, but that goes for every young guy.”
Read More Transfer Portal News
OU Transfer Portal Tracker Oklahoma LB to Enter Portal What Positions Must Oklahoma Address in the Portal?
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Dent played in just one game — against Maine — and logged just 26 snaps on offense and nine snaps on special teams during the 2024 season, then didn’t get on the field at all in 2025.
The former 3-star prospect from Fulton, MS, is a second cousin to former OU running back Marcus Dupree. His mother, Pashen Dent-Autry, was a two-time national champion basketball player for Tennessee legend Pat Summitt.
Autry was a consensus 3-star prospect coming out as a high school All-American at Itawamba Agricultural High School, where he was a 6-foot-7, 300-pound standout.
Autry picked the Sooners over Alabama, Auburn, Florida State and Ole Miss, among others, and could have plenty of options.
