NORMAN, Okla. — The WVU women’s basketball team fell to the Oklahoma Sooners, 68-58, on Wednesday evening at the Lloyd Noble Center.
Sophomore forward Kari Niblack led West Virginia in scoring with 16 points and tallied her third double-double of the season (16 points and 10 rebounds). Niblack’s 10 boards led the team. Redshirt junior guard Kysre Gondrezick (13 points) and redshirt senior guard Tynice Martin (12 points) also finished with 10 or more points.
Oklahoma (12-10, 5-5 Big 12) took an early lead, but the Mountaineers (14-6, 4-5 Big 12) knotted the score up on a pair of baskets from Niblack. The Sooners then got back out in front with a 3-pointer and a fast-break score to extend their lead. Gondrezick added a 3-pointer and Niblack scored on the baseline to cut into the deficit, but OU led WVU by six at the end of the first quarter.
West Virginia tacked on three points to start the second quarter, as Oklahoma led 17-11, but the Sooners’ offense kept firing and stretched their lead to nine points. The Mountaineers tacked on three more points to keep the deficit to single digits, but OU added seven points of its own to lead 27-14 at the second-quarter media timeout.
Niblack scored in the paint and from the baseline following the break to cut the deficit to nine points and get her into double figures. Freshman guard Kirsten Deans then scored on a drive from the wing and tacked one more at the line to make it an eight-point Sooner lead. Sophomore guard Madisen Smith added another score off a fast break, but OU added two more points at the line. West Virginia trailed Oklahoma, 31-23, at the half.
Martin got the Mountaineers on the board in the third quarter with a 3-pointer, but OU countered with a triple of its own. Gondrezick then sank a jumper from the wing before Martin added another triple to cut Oklahoma’s lead to five. The Sooners came right back with another 3-pointer and two more free throws to get their lead back to double digits, but senior guard Lucky Rudd responded with a score off a baseline drive. WVU trailed OU, 41-33, at the third-quarter media timeout.
Deans scored in the paint after the break. OU countered with a pair of scores, including a 3-pointer, but Niblack converted off an in-bound play to keep the deficit in single digits. After a pair of Sooner scores, Martin added two baskets of her own and Gondrezick tacked on a free throw, as the Mountaineers trailed Oklahoma, 50-43, heading into the final quarter.
Oklahoma scored the first five points of the fourth quarter to make it a 12-point game. Gondrezick provided the response for WVU, as she sank a triple with 7:45 to play. West Virginia called a timeout after OU converted in the paint one minute later. Niblack and Smith both scored for WVU over the next three minutes, as the Mountaineers trailed by seven points with five minutes to play. Oklahoma countered with two buckets of their own, but WVU answered with a pair of scores from Martinez and Gondrezick.
Four Oklahoma free throws made it an 11-point game with less than two minutes to play. Niblack scored once more in the paint with 42 seconds remaining, and Smith scored once more with 27 seconds remaining, but it wasn’t enough. Oklahoma walked away with the 68-58 victory.
WVU shot 25 of 63 (39.7%) from the field and made four 3-pointers. The Mountaineers held the advantage in points in the paint (34-28) and forced 23 turnovers. WVU assisted on 17 of its 25 made field goals.
Oklahoma finished 23 of 55 (41.8%) from the floor, including 5 of 5 (33.3%) from behind the arc. Ana Llanusa led OU in scoring, with 19, and was one of four Sooners to finish in double figures.
West Virginia’s road trip in Oklahoma continues Saturday as the Mountaineers travel to Stillwater to square off against Oklahoma State at the Gallagher-Iba Arena. Tip is set for 3 p.m. on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
