KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Grit and determination got the Oklahoma women to the title game of the Big 12 women’s tournament.
The Sooners offered those same characteristics through the regular season and in wins over Baylor and Oklahoma State at Municipal Auditorium.
But OU needed just a little more offensive execution to win its fifth Big 12 tourney title since 2002.
It wasn’t forthcoming in the 12th-ranked Sooners’ 74-67 loss to Texas A&M Sunday.
“In the end, they made some tough shots,” OU guard Danielle Robinson said.
The Sooners (23-10) missed some easy ones. Thirteen of OU’s 42 missed shots were close enough to be considered layups. Five of those were uncontested, but still didn’t fall.
OU only shot 37.3 percent (25-for-67) for the game and was 10-for-36 in the second half when the brunt of those point-blank shots were missed.
Fatigue tends to be a a factor for any team playing its third game in less than 72 hours.
“We missed layups … Layups that we depend on,” OU coach Sherri Coale said. “I think some of that was that we were just dead-dog tired and we just fought and fought and fought.”
The difference? As the Sooners missed layups, the 11th-ranked Aggies, also playing their third game in three days, were making 3-pointers.
The Aggies (25-7) were 8-for-14 from long distance. Tyra White made three of them en route to 16 points.
The game, and the tournament, turned out to be a platform for Texas A&M forward Danielle Adams. The Aggies’ sixth man came off the bench to score 19 points (17 in the second half) and was named the tournament’s most outstanding player.
“I just became dominant in the second half,” Adams said. “I couldn’t let my teammates down.”
The joy of victory and the agony of defeat were evident.
While Adams was celebrating with her teammates, the Sooners were in tears. The invested effort was hard to calculate, but failing to get the title stung.
“For me, it’s about our team, the seniors and what they’ve done for this program,” Robinson said, tears have still welling in her eyes. “We would have loved to give this Big 12 title going into the NCAA Tournament for their senior year, they’ve given so much to the program. It’s kind of frustrating.”
That was the thing about OU Sunday. It gave everything it had and it hasn’t even played its final home game yet.
The NCAA Tournament bracket will be announced at 6 p.m. today. The Sooners will be hosting first- and second-round games at Lloyd Noble Center beginning next Sunday.
But the thought of leaving something in reserve never crossed the OU’s mind.
Robinson scored 18 points, handed out five assists and played every second. Amanda Thompson never left the floor either in collecting 20 points and 19 rebounds.
“We fought today, and I feel like we can go as far as we want to in the (NCAA) tournament,” Thompson said.
It just wasn’t the Sooners’ day. They never led, but the game was tied three times in the second half.
The last came on a layup by Robinson with 12:42 left. Adams hit one of two free throws to give the lead back to the Aggies.
OU was trying to get the ball back with a chance to take the lead when Texas A&M’s Adaora Elonu fired up an airball, had another blocked by Thompson, then fired up another shot that banked off the backboard without catching the rim.
OU had forced three bad shots, but gave up a second offensive rebound when the ball found Adams’s hands with 2 seconds still on the shot clock.
She scored and got fouled. Though she missed the free throw, the Aggies led the rest of the way.
A 30-second sequence like that is hard to overcome.
“We knew what if felt like to be behind, and today, unfortunately, we couldn’t get that lead in the second half.” Thompson said. “It’s hard but we know we can do it. It was just one of those days.”
John Shinn 366-3536 jshinn@normantranscript.com
