No. 8 Oklahoma dominates wire-to-wire in 85-62 win over DePaul

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Payton Verhulst had 18 points, nine assists and seven rebounds and No. 8 Oklahoma defeated DePaul 85-62 on Monday afternoon in the second semifinal of the Ball Dawgs Classic.

The Sooners (6-0) led wire-to-wire as they continued their dominant start to the season. Oklahoma has won all six games by at least 23 points and has outscored the opposition by an average of 37.5 points per game.

Raegan Beers shot a perfect 6 of 6 from the floor and finished with 17 points and eight rebounds for Oklahoma. Liz Scott added 14 points, while Skylar Vann chipped in 11.

Jorie Allen and Meg Newman both scored 15 points to lead DePaul (2-4). Charlece Ohiaeri added 12.

Takeaways

DePaul: Ohiaeri scored a career high in her hometown. The sophomore swing guard played at nearby national high school powerhouse Centennial in Las Vegas, where she helped the Bulldogs win three straight state championships.

Oklahoma: The Sooners appeared well rested considering they spent the weekend in Las Vegas after beating UNLV 88-58 on Friday night. Monday afternoon’s win marked the Sooners’ best start since opening the 2010-11 season 7-0.

Key moment

After Ohiaeri’s 3-pointer cut Oklahoma’s lead to 11 with 6:55 left in the first half, the Sooners used an 11-2 run to extend their lead and take the Blue Demons out of their rhythm, as they missed nine of 10 shots during the spurt.

Key stat

Oklahoma shot 51.4% from the floor in the first half and held DePaul to just 27.9% shooting, including 4 of 17 (23.5%) from 3-point range.

Up next

Oklahoma will face No. 13 Duke in the championship game on Wednesday after DePaul plays No. 9 Kansas State in the consolation game.

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