Williams' Game-Winner Powers OU To Win

Madi Williams drove the lane and fought through contact for a go-ahead basket with 5.1 seconds on the clock, powering the Oklahoma women's basketball team to a season-opening 73-71 win at South Dakota Tuesday night.

The win marked the first under first-year head coach Jennie Baranczyk and snapped South Dakota's 20-game home winning streak, serving the defending Summit League champions their first home loss in nearly two years. 

"Just so, so proud of our team tonight," Baranczyk said after the win. "We faced some adversity early on, fought through it and then found a way to win in a really tough environment. There are plenty of things that we'll take from tonight that we need to work on, but for now, I'm just so proud to be the coach of this team."

Seniors Ana Llanusa and Williams led the way with 19 points apiece, followed by senior sharpshooter Taylor Robertson who poured in 17 off four made 3-pointers. The Sooners made 10 treys as a team and held the Coyotes under 40% from the field.

Freshman point guard Kelbie Washington earned the start in her first collegiate game, was responsible for two steals and broke up the pass on South Dakota's final possession. Freshman Emma Svoboda added six points off the bench, as did Skylar Vann who also tallied a pair of assists in the win. 

The Sooners now turn their focus to the team's home opener, slated for Nov. 12 at 10:30 a.m. when they host Arkansas State (1-0, 0-0 Sun Belt) at the Lloyd Noble Center for Sooner Junior Fans Field Trip Day.