Chavez Leads No. 16 Oklahoma Women Past Auburn, 72-65.

Aaliyah Chavez scored 18 points, leading No. 16 Oklahoma to a 72-65 victory over Auburn on Sunday, helping the Sooners avoid a potential upset (AP). Oklahoma, which had defeated No. 2 South Carolina 94-82 in overtime just three days earlier, battled the unranked Tigers closely before finishing the game with a decisive 13-6 run in the final minutes. Auburn briefly tied the game in the fourth quarter when Harissoum Coulibaly scored a layup at 57-all with six minutes remaining. Coulibaly later tied the game again at 59-59 with 4:50 left, but the Tigers managed only six points for the remainder of the contest. In addition to Chavez, Sahara Williams and Raegan Beers contributed 13 points each for Oklahoma (16-4, 4-3 SEC), while Brooklyn Stewart added 12 points off the bench. For Auburn (13-8, 2-5), A’riel Jackson led all scorers with 19 points off the bench, followed by Mya Petticord and Ja’Mia Harris with 12 each, and Coulibaly with 10. Oklahoma ended the first quarter with a 19-12 lead, but Auburn responded early in the second quarter when Jackson scored the first five points to narrow the deficit. A 6-0 run gave Auburn a 27-25 lead, their first of the game, but consecutive 3-pointers by Chavez helped Oklahoma regain control and enter halftime ahead 35-30.

In the third quarter, Petticord scored Auburn’s first eight points, but Oklahoma extended its lead to 47-38. By the end of the quarter, the Sooners maintained a 53-48 advantage entering the final period. Oklahoma will host Texas A&M on Thursday, while Auburn is scheduled to face South Carolina at home on the same day.