Oklahoma women’s basketball coach drops truth bomb after Aaliyah Chavez’s elite performance vs. NC State

No. 9 Oklahoma women’s basketball narrowly beat NC State 103-98 in overtime Wednesday, overcoming a 10-point second-half deficit behind freshman guard Aaliyah Chavez’s season-high 33 points in the ACC/SEC Challenge.

Chavez, who entered the game off a 29-point performance against Florida State, delivered what Oklahoma coach Jennie Baranczyk described as a defining step in her early college career.

“What’s really neat in that kind of game, I’m learning how to coach her,” Baranczyk said, as reported by Davis Cordova  of The Norman Transcript. “I think as the game went on, I got harder on her and harder on her and harder on her. Which is probably opposite than what I was thinking I would do with her. But she responds. She stays focused. She keeps her team going. Her focus is exactly where it needs to be.”

The Sooners (8-1) have now won seven straight and topped 100 points for the fourth consecutive game. Sahara Williams and Raegan Beers added 21 points each, helping Oklahoma rally after trailing 45-38 at halftime. Chavez scored 13 points before the break on 5-for-13 shooting and 1-for-7 from three, but she surged in the second half with 20 points on 8-for-13 shooting.

NC State (5-4) challenged throughout, bolstered by Zoe Brooks’ 25 points. Khamil Pierre finished with 19 points and 20 rebounds, and Tilda Trygger added 18 points and 12 boards as the Wolfpack outrebounded Oklahoma 57-48. NC State led by 10 in the third quarter before Chavez sparked Oklahoma’s push with eight points in the period. The Sooners regained the lead in the fourth on two free throws by Williams before the Wolfpack forced overtime.

Through nine college games, Chavez said she is adjusting quickly but credits the teammates around her.

“I definitely think the game is slowing down, but it’s really my teammates,” she said.

Oklahoma hosts Maryland-Eastern Shore on Sunday. NC State hosts Seton Hall the same day.

Reporting by Cliff Brunt of the Associated Press contributed to this article. 

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