In the only Top 25 NCAAW game on Tuesday, the No.23 Oklahoma Sooners breezed into Cincinnati looking to rebound from their loss to No. 24 West Virginia. While the Sooners came away with the win, the Bearcats, who at one point were down 22 a little more than halfway through the third quarter, made a competitive go of it. They outscored Oklahoma 30-24 in the fourth, getting as close as six points with only 0:22 left, but couldn’t get over the line, and eventually lost 95-87.
While there really are no moral victories, the fourth quarter showed that the Bearcats never gave up. That takes a united and determined team, the same qualities that allowed Oklahoma to fend off Cincinnati and get the win. Team leaders for the Bearcats were Jillian Hayes with 20 points, five assists, and seven boards, Malea Williams with 18 points and eight boards, and A’riel Jackson with 18 points and 5 assists. For Oklahoma, Skylar Vann grabbed 22 points, and Sahara Williams and Lexi Keys each scored 17 points.
I think Oklahoma is a better team than their record indicates, and wherever they end up in the NCAAW bracket, they will be a formidable opponent. Oh, and as an added bonus, starting tomorrow I’ll be covering the Euroleague playoffs. The Quarterfinals begin today, with games available for free on the YouTube FIBA channel.
And that, my friends, as they say, is that.’ — Martin Ruben.
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