Lexy Keys' last-second shot sends Oklahoma past Texas for Big 12 regular season title

At one point, it looked like Texas was going to spoil Oklahoma’s hopes of winning the Big 12 regular season title. The Longhorns led for most of the night in Norman as they looked to fight off the Sooners, who needed a win to lock up a crown.

Late in the fourth quarter, though, a wild sequence opened the door for Lexy Keys to knock down the biggest shot of the night. It gave Oklahoma its first lead since it was a 3-2 ballgame in the first half – only this time, the Sooners went back out in front for good.

Keys’ shot was the difference in Wednesday’s 71-70 victory over Texas, sealing a Big 12 regular season title for third-year coach Jennie Baranczyk and the Sooners. OU improved to 15-2 overall with the victory, which came front of a packed house at the Lloyd Noble Center.

ICE COLD 🥶@lexy_keys2 | 📺 ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/fG7E29bBf3

— Oklahoma Basketball (@OU_WBBall) February 29, 2024

It wasn’t the easiest night on offense for Oklahoma. The Sooners shot just 35.7 from the field, including a 10-for-30 showing from three-point territory. Payton Verhulst led OU with 18 points before fouling out, closely followed by Keys’ 16 points.

But what stood out to Baranczyk was Keys’ ability to stay with the game even when the shots weren’t falling.

“Lexy Keys just kept shooting,” Baranczyk told the ESPN+ broadcast. “She just kept shooting, and that’s all we need her to do. It’s unreal what this team has been able to do, and I’m getting really emotional because it’s been a lot. It’s been a lot. We’re gonna have to suck it up, but we’re gonna sure as heck enjoy this one.

“I’m just so proud of everybody. We didn’t play well. We shot 11% in the first quarter. And I feel like we just stayed in it long enough. They are so good. Texas is so, so, so good. I’m just so proud of our fight and our never-say-die attitude.”

Oklahoma also saw one of its top players leave the court at one point when Skylar Vann had to be helped to the locker room with an apparent leg injury. She ended up returning at the start of the second half, but Verhulst filled her shoes well with 14 points in the first half.

To Baranczyk, it was no surprise.

“Payton was unreal, especially when Skylar went down – and you don’t know what happens when your teammate goes down,” Baranczyk said. “This is Payton. Payton just played for Skylar. She just played, and she plays for her team. She’s just the consummate team player. But she’s so good, and she’s bringing this element where she can fall down and she can get up and she can my-bad. And she can own all these things and she’s still gonna keep going.

“I love her belief, I love the way this team believes. She shows up with a smile every single day, she works her tail off every single day. That’s why you get to see those really cool moments out on the floor.”