Sooners Earn Road Win Over Houston 71-65

Skylar Vann scored 21 points while Payton Verhulst added 18 as the pair guided Oklahoma to a gritty 71-65 road win over Houston on Saturday night.

The win improved Oklahoma (11-6, 5-1) to 5-1 in conference play for the third consecutive season under head coach Jennie Baranczyk. The Sooners shot a conference-high 52% from the field and held Houston (11-7, 2-5 Big 12) to just 37% in the win.

The Sooners led for 37:22 on Saturday, building its advantage to 10 points midway through the fourth quarter, but the Coogs, who entered the day 9-2 at home this season, refused to go away as OU needed clutch buckets from Vann and Verhulst down the stretch to finish it off.

Vann's 21 points on an efficient 10-of-15 shooting performance led all scorers. The senior forward added five rebounds and four assists and has notched back-to-back 20-point games for the first time in over two years. Verhulst's 18 points came behind a pair of 3-pointers, and she tallied four assists, too. Sahara Williams' eight rebounds were the most among all players at the Fertitta Center, and Nevaeh Tot added six assists in the effort.

With the victory, Oklahoma now holds a 3-2 all-time series vs. Houston and Saturday's victory came on the 43rd anniversary of the Sooners' last win over UH. Oklahoma has now held five of its first six opponents to 65 points or fewer. 

Oklahoma will take on No. 11 Texas next Wednesday, Jan. 24, in Austin, Texas, at 6 p.m. on ESPNU.