Sooners Fall In Big 12 Semifinal To Iowa State

Oklahoma had its championship run halted on Monday afternoon as the Sooners fell to fourth-seeded Iowa State, 85-68, in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship semifinal.

Oklahoma (22-9, 15-3 Big 12), who won the league's regular season crown, was led by Payton Verhulst's 23 points but couldn't get within single digits in the second half as ISU thwarted all of OU's runs. "We're obviously disappointed in how we played today," third-year head coach Jennie Baranczyk said after the defeat. "But with that said, credit to Iowa State because they played incredible. When they're hitting from both inside and out, they're really, really difficult to slow down."

The Sooners hit two early shots and jumped out to a 5-2 lead before Iowa State (20-10, 12-6 Big 12) used a 15-0 run to take a 12-point lead late in the first quarter.

The Sooners trailed by seven after one but responded well, cutting the deficit to three in the second frame, but that was the closest Oklahoma would get. The Cyclones closed the first half on a 7-0 run that turned a seven-point lead into a 38-24 ISU lead at the break.

The Iowa State lead ballooned to 28 points in the fourth quarter before an OU run cut it to 17 with just under two minutes. ISU freshman Audi Crooks scored an and-one bucket to put the final touches on the 85-68 win. Verhulst scored 23 points and made five 3-pointers, adding seven rebounds and three assists. Sahara Williams scored 16 points with five rebounds as the freshman was OU's highest scorer at the championship, averaging 16.5 points per game.

Iowa State shot 57.9% from the floor and 52.2% (12-23) from deep, which kept the Sooners at bay. Oklahoma shot 36.1% and made 10 of its 33 3-point attempts (30.3%). Crooks finished with 25 points and nine rebounds, while fellow All-Freshman selection Addy Brown scored 16 points, shot 80% from deep and grabbed six boards. 

If Oklahoma does not face a Big 12 team, the Sooners close their time in the Big 12 Conference with a record of 368-269 (.579) against Big 12 teams.

The Sooners won eight regular season Big 12 titles and four postseason crowns, making the NCAA tournament 21 times since the league was founded in 1996. 

The Sooners now await the NCAA selection show this Sunday when the committee will unveil its 2024 Women's Basketball Championship bracket at 7 p.m. on ESPN.

The Sooners have secured a top-five seed in each of Baranczyk's first two years.