OU Women's Basketball: Sooners win season opener behind Raegan Beers' 29 points, 10 rebounds

NORMAN — The Oklahoma women’s basketball team certainly had to earn the win in Monday’s season opener.

Fortunately for the Sooners, Raegan Beers was up to the task.

Beers finished with 29 points and 10 rebounds, powering the Sooners to an 84-67 win over Belmont. True freshman Aaliyah Chavez added 16 points and five assists in her first career game, while Sahara Williams added 11 points, 14 rebounds and six assists.

The Sooners had to battle to put Belmont away. They led 26-16 at the end of the first, but Belmont kept battling to keep the Sooners’ lead to just 12 at halftime. The Sooners struggled in the third quarter with just 12 points and went into the fourth quarter leading by just two.

The Sooners found their spark in the fourth quarter, outscoring Belmont 26-13 in the final frame to finish with the 17-point win.

The Sooners struggled to score efficiently for most of the game. They finished 33/71 from the floor (46%) but made just 3/23 3-point attempts (13%) and a subpar 15/30 from the free throw line. They also struggled with taking care of the ball, turning the ball over 18 times compared to 22 assists.

However, the Sooners snagged the win to start the season 1-0.

Up next: The Sooners play at No. 3 UCLA next Monday (9:30 p.m. CT).