Sooners Slip by Gardner-Webb

OU used strong shooting in second half to post 84-75 victory.

Thursday, May 26th 2011, 12:04 pm

By: News On 6

Originally Published: Nov 27, 2010 11:10 PM CDT

Grant Belcher
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

NORMAN, Oklahoma – Despite the obvious “big game” Saturday night in Stillwater, there was another nationally-ranked Sooner team competing that day.

The OU women’s basketball team took down Gardner-Webb 84-75 at the Lloyd Noble Center to stay undefeated on Saturday.

Sooners coach Sherri Coale said her team’s opponent set the pace for the game and the win can be thought of as a learning experience.

“We have to assert our own pace and we have to demand that the game go our way,” she said. “Some of that has to do with getting stops and blocking out better to get points in transition. We weren't really effective in transition much at all comparatively to what we have been."

Guard Danielle Robinson led the Sooners with 18 points. Joanna McFarland added 15 points and seven rebounds for OU and freshman Aaryn Ellenberg also added 15 points.

Oklahoma shot just 32 percent in the first half but still led by nine points at the break.

The Sooners shot much better in the second half (57 percent), but Gardner-Webb used hot 3-point shooting to stay in the game.

The team shot 8-of-15 from beyond the arc to relatively stay in the game until the end.

"It will help us grow, there is no doubt about that,” Coale said.

Oklahoma (5-0) will take on Prairie View, its third opponent in the round-robin Basketball Travelers Invitational, Sunday at 5 p.m.