Oklahoma added another nice non-conference win to its resume on Tuesday night.
Jennie Baranczyk’s No. 10-ranked Sooners overarm and early deficit to beat the 20th-ranked Michigan Wolverines 72-62 in the Jumpman Invitational at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC.
Four different Sooners, led by Payton Verhulst, scored in double-figures as OU eventually broke down the Wolverines’ sturdy defense in the final quarter to notch the victory.
With the win, Oklahoma moved to 10-1 on the year and Michigan fell to 9-2.
Here are Sooners on SI’s takeaways from the victory:
Under Baranczyk, the Sooners have become known for their up-tempo style of play.
Tuesday night, Michigan did an excellent job defensively, but it didn’t matter.
Oklahoma showed that it could win in both a track meet and a physical defensive battle.
The Wolverines knocked down the same amount of field goals as the Sooners, but OU forced 26 turnovers to level the playing field, and Oklahoma connected with enough 3-pointers to turn the tide.
Anchored by Raegan Beers, the Sooners’ defense has been excellent all year long, and they needed every stop to stay in front of the nation’s 20th-ranked team in Charlotte.
Much like on the defensive end of the floor, it took a full team effort from Oklahoma to leave the Spectrum Center with at the victory.
The usual suspects — Beers, Peyton Verhulst, Skylar Vann and Sahara Williams — led the charge but seven different Sooners made at least two buckets on Tuesday night.
OU especially needed its depth in the closing moments of the third quarter after Beers picked up her third foul and had to head to the bench to avoid major foul trouble.
Lexy Keys then came alive, hitting a pair of 3’s in the immediate aftermath to help OU stay in front.
Even without Beers on the floor, the Sooners were able to extend the lead and ultimately deal a knockout blow to open Oklahoma’s portion of the Jumpman Invitational in style.
The Sooners entered the fourth quarter with a three-point lead, but Michigan quickly found itself in a much deeper hole thanks to the Vann sisters.
First it was the freshman, Zya Vann, who knocked down a triple and then go to the foul line to push the lead past a single possession.
Then Skylar took over.
The reigning Big 12 Co-Player of the Year scored seven quick points on a perfect 3-of-3 from the floor to give the Sooners a 12-point advantage — the largest lead by either team all night.
Her strong fourth quarter showing leveled the veteran with Keys’ showing to lead OU in scoring as the Sooners picked up their fourth-straight win.
