Sooners’ Season Ends at Final Four

Originally Published: Apr 4, 2010 7:2 PM CDT

Stephany Speck
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

SAN ANTONIO -- Despite a resilient effort and comeback from a 13-point halftime deficit, the Oklahoma Sooners couldn’t overcome the Stanford Cardinal, losing 73-66.

Danielle Robinson led the Sooners with 23 points, six assists and six rebounds, while Stanford's Nnemkadi Ogwumike finished with 38 points and 16 rebounds.

The Sooners offense struggled throughout the game, but showed a few sparks of hope in the second half. Amanda Thompson opened the half by rattling in a tough shot just inside the three-point line. She ended her last game with the Sooners with 12 points, nine rebounds and two steals.

The forced shot epitomized what the Cardinal defense did to the Sooners--forced, uncomfortable looks for Oklahoma. Stanford denied them the luxury of driving in the paint, instead forcing the Sooners to take shots from the perimeter.

Ogwumike gave the Sooners a headache on both defense and offense, racking up a double-double less than four minutes into the second half. Her size and strength helped the Cardinal dominate the boards, as they grabbed 53 rebounds total, 18 of which were offensive rebounds.

Abi Olajuwon tried to keep her team in the game, snatching nine rebounds of her own.

The senior also finished with three blocks and six points, while Nyeshia Stevenson completed her career with 15 points.

Robinson tried to revive the team’s offense with an explosive drive and layup followed by a quick jumper with 15:29 remaining, but the Sooners still trailed 42-28.

OU narrowed the lead to eight points later after sophomore Jasmine Hartman hit a 3-pointer and Joanna McFarland made a strong drive for a layup. But the Cardinal answered back with an 8-0 run, extending its lead back to 16 points.

A technical malfunction with the shot clock gave both teams a few extra minutes to strategize. The Cardinal had created at 15-point margin with 5:30 left in the game, but the Sooners rallied back, not willing to leave the tournament without a fight.

Two back-to-back shots by Thompson and Robinson pulled the Sooners to within 10 points of the Cardinal. Robinson followed by hitting an and-one shot that pulled the Sooners to within eight with two minutes left in the game.

Olajuwon drew a foul just a few plays later, making only one of her free throws. The Sooners grabbed the rebound on the second shot and Thompson hit a 3-pointer to make it a four-point game with just 1:20 left..

Another technical issue with the shot clock gave the teams a few extra moments to regroup and plan their next moves.

A foul by Stevenson sent Ogwumike to the foul line, where she made one free throw. Robinson then responded by hitting a quick jump shot on the next play, making it a one-possession game at 67-64.

After two free throws by Ogwumike, Robinson hit a quick drive and layup, as the Sooners cut the lead to three points again with 16 seconds left. Ogwumike had the final say, though, as she finished with a layup and two foul shots.