Iowa City, Ia. — Dominating one half was more than enough for top seed Oklahoma on Sunday.
The Sooners wore down Prairie View A&M to secure a 76-47 victory in a first-round NCAA women’s basketball tournament game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. But it took a 53-38 edge in rebounding and a 17-1 run early in the second half to help No. 4 Oklahoma (29-4) advance.
Prairie View, a No. 16 seed making just its second appearance in the tournament, kept the game close by getting 15 points apiece from guards Dominique Smith and Gatti Werema and making nine steals in the first half.
Oklahoma coach Sherri Coales was even forced to take a timeout after an
8-0 Prairie View run cut the deficit to 36-28.
“We were making ridiculous mistakes,” Coale said. “I told them just because Prairie View started picking us up (on defense) a little farther from the rim, it didn’t mean we had to speed our game up.”
Oklahoma point guard Danielle Robinson got the message. The sophomore finished with 15 points, six assists and no second-half turnovers.
“It was about poise and taking care of the basketball,” she said of the Sooners’ response to Prairie View’s run.
Oklahoma’s Amanda Thompson sat out with a hurt foot.
Box score: Oklahoma 76, Prairie View A&M 47
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