Sooners Drop Tight Battle To No. 19 Tennessee, 76-73

No. 22 Oklahoma held the lead after the first, second and third quarters but faltered down the stretch as No. 19 Tennessee dispatched the Sooners, 76-73, to close the Fort Myers Women's Tip-Off on Saturday.

The Sooners (5-2) held a 10-point lead with 5:59 left in the third quarter, but the Lady Vols closed the game on a 36-23 run to come from behind and win.

True freshman Sahara Williams shined again, scoring 16 points and pulling down eight rebounds in the loss. Aubrey Joens and Lexy Keys each sunk a pair of 3-pointers, scoring 12 points each. Skylar Vann finished with six points and eight rebounds, while Payton Verhulst added nine points and seven boards.

The Sooners shot just 36% (27-76) on the day but made nine 3-pointers to stay in the game. Tennessee (4-2) hit 10 more free throws than the Crimson and Cream, who were whistled for 11 more fouls than its opponent. OU grabbed 48 rebounds but was outdone on the glass for the second straight game as Tennessee hauled in 49 boards.

Oklahoma returns to Norman, where it will look to regroup before welcoming Grambling State to Lloyd Noble Center on Dec. 1.

Full recap to come.