NORMAN, Okla. — What started out looking like a dogfight Saturday afternoon turned ugly in the final minutes.

In a two-possession game with a little more than five minutes remaining, Texas Tech turned the ball over four times and didn’t make a single field goal. The Sooners took charge and stormed to a 73-58 victory to open both team’s Big 12 Conference seasons.

It certainly wasn’t the start to Big 12 play the Lady Raiders were looking for.

Tech (12-3, 0-1 in Big 12) went almost seven minutes without a basket to conclude a game that was within striking distance for the first 33 minutes.

There is no moral victory, though, coach Kristy Curry said. Not when her Lady Raiders went on the road gunning to upset the No. 14 Sooners (11-3, 1-0), who have now won nine consecutive games against Tech.

“We had some moments when I didn’t think we competed at the level we needed to,” Curry said, “get the stop, get to the foul line, be aggressive offensively.

“I thought we came out a little bit — especially in the first half — we were two seconds ahead. They were making us play really fast. We weren’t as patient as we have been. I think that’s great for us to be able to learn from.”

Tech knew coming in that the Sooner backcourt would be dangerous in transition, but guards Danielle Robinson and Nyeshia Stevenson still managed to give the Lady Raiders fits. The pair combined for eight of Oklahoma’s 14 fast-break points.

Senior forward Amanda Thompson scored a game-high 17 points, dished out a game-high six assists and got three steals. Stevenson earned a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

“I think we did well in the first half, stopping Danielle in transition,” Tech senior guard Tilmila Martin said. “But in the second half we didn’t stop her in transition, she got easy buckets. We didn’t pick up the ball. She’s quick, very quick, so she’s going to get to the rim.”

Besides the defensive letdown in the second half, proof of Tech’s struggles are in the numbers. The Lady Raiders shot just 30 percent from the field in the second half, including a 1-of-5 performance from 3-point range.

The real killer, though, was in the paint. Oklahoma scored 40 points in the paint, thanks in part to 6-foot-4 center Abi Olajuwon. She added 12 points and was one of four Sooners in double figures.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma made a point of shutting down Kierra Mallard’s post game, limiting Tech to just 18 points in the paint.

“I think Kierra Mallard is really their heartbeat,” Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale said. “I think they play confidently when she is scoring. We felt like we needed to find a way to neutralize (her) or not allow her to get on a roll.”

Mallard still scored a team-high 14 points, but only two of them came in the paint, which, as Coale noted, is where she typically does most of her damage.

Martin also added 14 points for the Lady Raiders.

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