Payton Verhulst scores 16, No. 9 Oklahoma pulls away in second half for 79-49 win over Wichita State

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Payton Verhulst scored 16 points, Raegan Beers had 11 points and 10 rebounds, and ninth-ranked Oklahoma pulled away in the second half for a 79-49 victory over Wichita State on Tuesday night.

Lexy Keys hit a trio of 3-pointers and added 12 points while Zya Vann had 10 for the Sooners, who have won all four of their games by at least 30 points — something that has never occurred over a four-game stretch in school history.

The Sooners led 12-11 late in the first quarter when Sahara Williams hit a 3-pointer off a feed from Keys. Williams returned the favor, feeding Keys for her own 3, and Oklahoma took control with a 15-0 run extending into the second quarter.

Wichita State (2-3) tried to hang around, and Ornella Niankan's layup pulled the Shockers within 50-39 in the third quarter. But the Sooners got a four-point play from Keys to trigger another run, and by the time Vann made a 3-pointer a few minutes later, they had pushed the lead to 63-39 and were on their way.

Jayla Murray led Wichita State with 14 points. Bre'Yon White and Taylor Jameson added 10 apiece.

Takeaways

Oklahoma was able to experience playing on the road for the first time this season. That should prove helpful in trips to UNLV and No. 25 Louisville over the coming weeks.

Wichita State led the Sooners at halftime last season before losing in lopsided fashion. This matchup felt very familiar.

Key moment

Keys converting the four-point play in the second half allowed Oklahoma to embark on the game's decisive run.

Key stats

Oklahoma had 37 points off the bench. Wichita State had five.

Up next

Oklahoma plays UNLV on Friday night. Wichita State plays Creighton in the Emerald Coast Classic in Florida on Monday night.

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The Associated Press