NORMAN, Okla. — Following a modest first half that produced a three-point halftime deficit for Texas State, it was a nine-point scoring differential that provided the difference as the Bobcats fell to Oklahoma, 52-40, Sunday afternoon. 

"I thought our team did a very good job of following our game plan — for the most part — during those first two quarters and we talked about adjustments coming out of halftime," said Texas State women's basketball head coach Zenarae Antoine. "We did a good job, defensively, so we wanted to continue doing that. We wanted to stick with the man-to-man defense to limit (Oklahoma's) 3-point shooters as well as make sure (Oklahoma's Gabby Gregory) didn't have any easy opportunities. We talked a fair amount, offensively, about finishing those good looks we had, too."

Despite outscoring Oklahoma 11-9 during the first quarter, the Sooners (1-3) responded by taking a 21-18 lead over Texas State (1-2) into the locker rooms for halftime.

Less than 34 seconds into the third quarter, Liz Scott extended the Oklahoma advantage to five points with an uncontested fast-break layup off a Bobcat turnover. Da'Nasia Hood, who finished with a game-high 18 points, made Texas State's first free throw — on the team's second attempt — at the 9:07 mark in the third quarter, but Gregory continued the Sooner push with a layup 20 seconds later. 

Texas State got as close as 27-25 in the third quarter following another Hood layup at the 6:09 mark, but Gregory, again, immediately responded 30 seconds later with a pair of free throws. The two free throws sparked a 13-0 Oklahoma run that was capped by a Skyler Vann 3-pointer to balloon the Sooners' lead to 40-25 with 1:21 remaining in the third quarter. 

"Man, it was that third quarter that was really tough," Antoine said. "We came out and gave up back-to-back shots immediately and gave them too shots inside. We struggled to finish offensively in the paint, which is where — if you wanted to point at an area — things changed for the Bobcats." 

Avionne Alexander, who joined Hood as the only two Bobcats to score 10-or-more points in the game as the senior netted 11, halted the run with a jumper in the paint, before converting a free throw attempt to complete an old-fashion three-point play.

Kennedy Taylor, who finished with nine points, cut the Bobcat deficit to 10 with a layup a minute into the fourth quarter, but Sooner point guard Nevaeh Tot, who was one of three Oklahoma players to play all 40 minutes as OU was limited to only six available players for Sunday's game due to COVID-19 tracing within the program, answered with a jumper just seven seconds later. Texas State never got as close as 10 — 50-40 following an Alexander layup with 2:39 left in the game — the rest of the way. 

Texas State will continue its road ways when the Bobcats travel to Corpus Christi on Wednesday, Dec. 16 to play Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, which the Bobcats beat 57-48 in San Marcos during the 2019-20 season.