Wednesday, Dec. 29 8:00pm ET
Ralph paces Huskies with 18 points
 
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NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -- After playing a near-perfect game against UCLA a week ago, the top-ranked Connecticut Huskies had trouble putting Oklahoma away.

Shea Ralph scored 18 points as Connecticut beat Oklahoma 84-68 on Wednesday night before a crowd of 10,713, the largest to ever watch a women's basketball game in Oklahoma.

"When we play like we did for stretches tonight ... we are really, really good. But I already knew that," coach Geno Auriemma said. "What was good tonight was we played against a team, unlike teams in the past, that didn't stop playing no matter what the score was. That was really good for us to see that.

"This Oklahoma team made us play more than just in spurts and they took advantage of the things they could."

Playing just their third game in 22 days, the Huskies allowed Oklahoma to stay relatively close. Trailing by 16 points at half-time, Oklahoma matched Connecticut's 43 points in the second half.

"To match them in the second half and to never go away -- for what that does for what's between our ears you can't measure it," Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale said.

Phylesha Whaley and Stacey Dales each had 19 points for the Sooners (9-3).

"They're the No. 1 team in America and they played like it," Coale said. "They did all the things they needed to. I thought we fought. I'm super proud of our kids."

Connecticut (9-0) returns home to face No. 3 Louisiana Tech on Sunday.
 


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Womens College Basketball Scoreboard

Connecticut Clubhouse

Oklahoma Clubhouse