Against Georgia, Sooner women maddening and heroic on same night, in same half
The 11th-ranked Oklahoma women were at 24th-ranked Georgia Thursday night, yet again doing the things they do.
They were up 12 in less than four minutes, only to let the Bulldogs bring it back to five. They then resurrected their dozen-point and were certain to carry it into the half.
Until Caya Smith committed her second foul in seven seconds trying to keep Mia Woolfolk off the offensive glass despite Woolfolk having no time to launch had she come down with the board.
That put the Bulldogs in the bonus, Woolfolk made both her free throws and the Bulldog deficit was 10.
Beers, who played only six first-half minutes due to her usual foul trouble, missed two free throws to begin the third quarter. OU’s next two trips resulted in turnovers, the second a moving pick from Beers, her third foul, sending her off the floor again.
She finished having played just 17 minutes. Every other Sooner starter played at least 11 more.
Next time down, Sahara Williams missed, Payton Verhulst missed and Williams missed again. So now the lead was three, Georgia with the ball.
A chance to tie from beyond the arc, Rylie Theuerkauf missed with 7:48 left in the frame.
Verhulst could have grabbed the rebound but chose to watch it bounce out of bounds instead. It never did, Bulldog guard Dani Carnegie getting there first and throwing it back into play, lucky for OU, right to Zya Vann.
Then, I knew how this would begin.
