NORMAN, Okla. – Aaryn Ellenberg scored 24 points and hit four 3-pointers to lead a second-half charge by No. 14 Oklahoma as the Sooners beat Texas Tech 71-61 Wednesday night to remain tied for first place in the Big 12.
Danielle Robinson added 16 points and Whitney Hand scored 14 for Oklahoma (14-3, 4-0 Big 12), which kept pace with top-ranked Baylor and No. 6 Texas A&M atop the conference standings.
Kierra Mallard had 21 points and 12 rebounds and Chynna Brown scored 17 to lead Texas Tech (16-2, 3-1), which had an eight-game winning streak snapped for the second time this season. The Lady Raiders have lost 11 in a row against the Sooners.
After a closely contested yet sloppy first half that featured a combined 29 turnovers, Oklahoma came out firing from 3-point range to wipe away a four-point deficit and start taking control. Ellenberg connected four times and the Sooners started out 6 for 10 from 3-point range in the second half to go up 53-45.
Oklahoma then built on its lead on the offensive boards, with Joanna McFarland earning a pair of free throws off one rebound and Carlee Roethlisberger putting back another during a 10-2 run. Ellenberg's two free throws extended the lead to 63-50 with 7:03 to play.
Roethlisberger had 11 points and five of Oklahoma's 18 offensive rebounds that led to 15 second-chance points — 12 of them in the second half. The Sooners' starters provided all of their scoring, with coach Sherri Coale only going to her bench once in the second half when Robinson was clocked in the nose.
Robinson, a preseason All-American, came out of the game for just more than a minute and returned just in time to get involved in Oklahoma's game-breaking run.
The Sooners shot only 32 percent but won for the third straight time despite making less than one-third of their shots. Texas Tech made 48 percent of its field goals but committed a season-high 25 turnovers.
The Lady Raiders held Oklahoma scoreless for a stretch of more than 6 minutes midway through the first half while putting together a 10-0 run to move ahead. Mallard and Brown each had four points in the run, and Kelsi Baker's two foul shots put Tech up 18-15.
The Lady Raiders were up 30-26 after Mallard's basket to start the second half, but it was all downhill from there.
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