NORMAN, Okla. – Oklahoma knocked off Oklahoma City University 68-48 on Monday night at Lloyd Noble Center in a women's basketball exhibition.
Daniela Wallen, a senior from Caracas, Venezuela, topped the Stars with 21 points, nine rebounds and three steals. OCU, ranked 19th in NAIA Division I, played its final exhibition of the season.
The Stars completed a two-game set of exhibitions against Texas A&M, ranked 23rd in the NCAA in the USA Today coaches poll, and the University of Oklahoma, ranked 16th by the Associated Press.
"I think that was big for us because we have a tough schedule early," Oklahoma City coach Bo Overton said of the Stars' exhibition opponents. "These teams we play early will be ranked and athletic. Playing these two teams, we're a little better tonight."
Marian Duran, a senior from Yaracuy, Venezuela, gave the Stars another double-digit scorer with 10 points, four assists, two steals and two 3-pointers. The Stars' Daniela Galindo, a junior from Shattuck, Okla., added eight points, nine rebounds and three steals. OCU had the advantage in points in the paint 28-20.
"We had a great effort," Overton said. "If we could have gotten the ball into the basket, we could have made this a better game. We got the shots we were looking for. We are going to work on not turning the ball over and continuing to rebound the ball."
Oklahoma City outscored Oklahoma 10-2 in the third quarter. Wallen scored two baskets to key an 8-0 Stars run. Wallen's second basket came on a drive into the lane and jumper from 8 feet. Duran capped the quarter by driving for a lay-in as time expired to cut OCU's deficit to 47-36. Oklahoma hit 1 of its 10 field-goal attempts in the quarter.
The Stars' run stretched to 10-0 on Irwin's bucket to cut OU's lead to 47-38 early in the fourth quarter. The Sooners responded by reeling off a 10-0 run in the fourth quarter. Gabbi Ortiz, Maddie Manning and Derica Wyatt nailed consecutive treys to give OU a 57-38 advantage with 5:10 left. Wallen broke OCU's drought with a jumper at the 4:50 mark.
Duran provided OCU with an early 3-2 edge. Duran sank a 3-pointer at the 9:31 mark of the first quarter. Oklahoma answered with an 8-0 surge as Gioya Carter and Ortiz hit back-to-back 3s.
The Stars begin the regular season 6 p.m. Friday against College of the Ozarks (Mo.) in the John Brown Classic at Siloam Springs, Ark.