Three-game Losing Streak Testing Oklahoma, But Sooners Still Have Plenty Ahead Of Them

NORMAN — Oklahoma women’s hoops coach Jennie Baranczyk was speedy to onslaught down immoderate talk of NCAA Tournament seeds and nan ramifications of nan Sooners’ three-game losing streak aft her team’s 91-72 nonaccomplishment to LSU connected Sunday.

“I don’t attraction astir that,” Baranczyk said. “I astir apt should and I don’t. We person to get better. … We person capable talent connected our squad but we’ve sewage to sprout amended clearly, we’ve sewage to get it to each different a small better, clearly; and we’ve sewage to study to guard. ...

"I don't cognize what our resume is. It's astir apt not good. At this point, don't care, doesn't matter, there's thing we tin do astir it."

None of OU’s losses during nan streak person been peculiarly damning.

The Sooners fell to then-No. 18 Ole Miss 74-69 connected Jan. 8 astatine Lloyd Noble Center to threat their 13-game winning streak, mislaid astatine then-No. 6 Kentucky 63-57 successful a tight one, past fell to nan presently sixth-ranked Tigers connected Sunday successful beforehand of a sold-out crowd astatine LNC.

Collectively, though, nan streak has raised plentifulness of concerns.

The 13th-ranked Sooners were shooting 47.2% from nan section and 31.7% from beyond nan arc done nan first 15 games of nan season.

During its losing streak, OU is shooting conscionable 35.3% from nan section and 26.0% from beyond nan arc.

There were ever going to beryllium increasing pains for freshman Aaliyah Chavez, moreover pinch her lofty credentials coming retired of precocious school.

Chavez worked done early struggles against Belmont and UCLA to thrive for astir of nan adjacent 2 months.

But during nan past 4 games, Chavez is conscionable 20 of 63 (31.7%) from nan section and 9 of 31 (29.0%) from beyond nan arc.

“Our modular and our anticipation is astir apt … it mightiness beryllium excessively precocious for young players but I’m not going to alteration that,” Baranczyk said. “The anticipation is you’ve sewage to travel successful to triumph each possession, and that’s wherever we’re not holding that modular correct now. You don’t get a prime if you want to container out, … you don’t get a prime if you want to play together.

“As a team, we’ve sewage to turn together a small spot more. I don’t deliberation we’re doing a awesome occupation correct now of trying to group each different up.”

Specifically, Baranczyk said Chavez and nan different young players connected nan roster struggled pinch LSU’s physicality Sunday.

“We’ve sewage to do a amended occupation of being capable to beryllium a small much powerful, and a small little finesse,” Baranczyk said.

Chavez was 3 of 14 Sunday pinch 4 turnovers and 2 assists.

"I deliberation nan biggest point for our squad to study is we've sewage to out-team people, because we can't retired one-on-one people," Baranczyk said.

It’s not conscionable OU’s young defender duo of Chavez and Zya Vann that request to grow, though.

Sahara Williams was a awesome portion of nan Sooners’ occurrence early successful nan season, but during nan losing streak, Williams is conscionable 9 of 28 from nan floor. 

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The losing streak is nan Sooners’ first of 3 aliases much games since December 2023 erstwhile they fell to UNLV, North Carolina and Southern. 

That agelong was much concerning, though it came overmuch earlier successful nan season.

This 1 is still early successful convention play, though nan chances for resume-building wins dwindle aft this stretch, which ends pinch OU hosting No. 2 South Carolina connected Thursday.

After Thursday’s game, conscionable 2 games stay against top-20 opponents — No. 4 Texas and No. 5 Vanderbilt successful back-to-back roadworthy games successful early February.

“I’m not worried because we person a squad that will travel into activity and we’re going to activity for each other,” Payton Verhulst said.

Oklahoma still has plentifulness of way to big successful nan first 2 rounds of nan NCAA Tournament, but pinch a resume who’s champion triumph is nan Dec. 13 Bedlam victory, nan Sooners person activity to do to get backmost successful that discussion.

That, Baranczyk said, will return attraction of itself arsenic agelong arsenic nan squad continues to turn and not stagnate though this unsmooth stretch.

“I’d for illustration to spot america person a small much spot and chemistry,” Baranczyk said. “I deliberation that’s wherever you’re going to spot gs spell a small spot amended than they are correct now because bully teams expose you. They’re expected to, but if we’re playing this for nan agelong game, I deliberation there’s a batch much that tin come.

“But nan anticipation is that we’ll get a hellhole of a batch better.”