Sooners Drop Wild Game to No. 9 Kentucky

Nicole Kornet scored 21 points and senior Sharane Campbell-Olds tallied 20 but the Oklahoma Sooners squandered an eight-point advantage with 1:31 remaining in regulation and lost to No. 9 Kentucky 92-88 in overtime Friday in their second game of the Paradise Jam.

Despite allowing the Wildcats (5-1) back into the game in the final minutes, the Sooners (3-2) held a one-point edge – 79-78 – when Kornet grabbed a much needed defensive rebound with five seconds left in the game. She subsequently was intentionally fouled dribbling the ball up the floor but was then called for a technical foul for what was called excessive celebration with 1.1 left on the clock.

Kentucky's Makayla Epps drained one-of-two free throws for the technical foul to tie the game. Sooner sophomore Derica Wyatt – who entered for Kornet after fouling out – missed both free throw attempts for the intentional foul and Campbell missed the last-second winning jumper attempt.

The Wildcats kept the momentum swing in overtime scoring eight of the first 10 points to go up 87-81. The closest the Sooners would then get to the lead was three points.

There were 70 fouls called in the contest, with six Sooners fouling out and two Wildcats. Kentucky finished the game hitting 34-of-53 free throws, while Oklahoma hit just 18-of-33 after opening the game hitting 8-for-10 in the first 20 minutes.

Epps finished with a career-high 29 points and Linnae Harper added 23 points for Kentucky.

Oklahoma closes out the Paradise Jam Saturday playing Illinois at 5 p.m. CT. Illinois opened the tournament with a 77-71 upset victory over Kentucky Thursday.