Oklahoma women's basketball: Sooners dominate early, cruise past Saint Louis

“I thought we shot the ball well and when we started throwing it to the post our offense suddenly had some cadence,” OU coach Sherri Coale said. “Defensively, I thought we communicated well and made things tough for them.”

The Sooners (2-1) matched a team record for fewest points allowed in a half, giving up just 10 through the first 20 minutes. OU didn't allow a basket until the 11-minute mark and only allowed Saint Louis 17 percent shooting from the field in the first half.

“We didn't give them anything easy in transition early,” Coale said. “And we blocked out, which was a big improvement.”

Although the team had the 30-point lead at the break, OU looked sloppy coming out of halftime and missed its first six shots with three turnovers. The Billikens (0-3) went on a 6-0 run, causing Coale to rotate in five new players.

“We were playing flat and they know that's unacceptable,” Coale said.

The brief drought ended when forward Portia Durrett drained the jumper to give OU the 42-16 lead with 14:34 left in the game. The Sooners were led offensively by center Nicole Griffin's 15 points. Griffin credited her weekly preparation at the low-post position for her improved performance.