Sooners win fifth straight in 40-point rout at Arkansas

Raegan Beers scored 30 points for a second straight game and No. 16 Oklahoma upped its win streak to five with a 94-54 romp over Arkansas on Sunday.

Beers scored a career-high 30 three days earlier in a 101-81 victory over Vanderbilt. She became the first Sooner to reach 30 points in back-to-back games since Courtney Paris accomplished the feat as a sophomore in 2007. The junior made 12 of 14 shots against Arkansas, including a career-high three 3-pointers without a miss and added seven rebounds.

Sahara Williams finished with 15 points and six rebounds for the Sooners (21-6, 9-5 Southeastern Conference). Skylar Vann had 12 points, six rebounds and five assists. Payton Verhulst totaled 12 points, four assists and three steals.

Izzy Higginbottom, fifth in the nation with a 23.6 scoring average, had 22 points on 8-for-21 shooting for the Razorbacks (9-20, 2-12), who have lost six in a row and 10 of their last 11.

Beers had nine points and Vann scored eight as Oklahoma took a 23-15 lead after one quarter. Higginbottom had three of Arkansas' four baskets and scored nine.

Higginbottom had back-to-back baskets to get the Razorbacks within 25-21 early in the second quarter, but Verhulst buried a 3-pointer to cap a 7-0 run and the Sooners led by double digits with 5:50 left. Jenna Lawrence hit a 3-pointer in the final minute and Arkansas closed to within 40-32 at the break.

Beers scored 10 in a 17-3 run to close out the third quarter and Oklahoma led 72-48. The Sooners ended the game on a 9-0 run, outscoring the Razorbacks 54-22 in the second half.

Oklahoma travels to Florida on Thursday for a 6 p.m. CT matchup with the Gators on SEC Network Plus. 

POSTGAME NOTES

• No. 16 Oklahoma defeated Arkansas, 94-54, to win its fifth straight game and improve to 21-6 overall and 9-5 in the SEC. The win locked the Sooners into a top eight seed at the SEC Tournament, guaranteeing at least one BYE in Greenville with two games remaining in the regular season. OU could rise as high as the No. 4 seed and receive two BYEs. 

• Junior center Raegan Beers tied her career high with 30 points just three days after setting that mark on Thursday night against Vanderbilt. Beers is the first Sooner since Courtney Paris in February 2007 to notch back-to-back 30-point games. The Littleton, Colo., product made 12 of her 14 field goal attempts, including a career-best three 3-pointers, as she didn't miss from deep. She also added seven rebounds in the win and averaged 30.0 points and 10.5 rebounds per game over the week.

• OU's 40-point win was the largest margin of victory in a conference game in the Baranczyk era (2021-present) and the second largest since at least 2009, trailing only a 55-point win over Texas Tech in 2014. 

• Oklahoma reached 90 points for the third time in SEC action and seventh time this season. The Sooners are now 66-5 under Baranczyk when scoring 80+ and 19-0 this season when holding their opponent under 80. 

• OU won its ninth SEC game, ensuring that the Sooners will finish with a winning record in conference play for the fourth consecutive season under Baranczyk. The Sooners have now been .500 or better in league play in 25 of the last 27 seasons. 

• The Sooners stretch of strong third quarters continued Sunday, as OU outscored Arkansas by 16 in the third and 32 in the second half. Over its last three games, the Sooners are +48 in the third quarter and OU is now 19-0 when leading after three quarters. 

• Sahara Williams sunk a career high three 3-pointers for the second straight game, finishing with 15 points and six rebounds. Skylar Vann added 12 points, six rebounds and a team-high five assists. Payton Verhulst reached double figures for the eighth straight game, finishing with 12 points, four rebounds and four assists. 

• The Sooners shot 45.1% in the win and made 12 3-pointers. They outrebounded the Razorbacks 54-40, eclipsing 50 boards for the second consecutive game and moving to 19-3 this season when winning on the glass. OU dished out 27 assists, tying its best in conference play, and the Sooners turned it over only 14 times. 

• Oklahoma held Arkansas to 27.7% shooting and just 54 points, as OU has held 22 of its 27 opponents below their average FG% and points per game this season. 

• Up next: The Sooners travel to Gainesville, Fla., for a matchup with the Gators (14-14, 5-9) on Thursday night at 6 p.m. CT on SEC Network Plus.