Illinois State fell behind Oklahoma by 17 with 12 minutes to play, then threw a scare into the fourth-seeded Sooners (22-8) before losing 69-61 Sunday in a first-round game of the NCAA women’s tournament in West Lafayette, Ind.
The 13th-seeded Redbirds (26-7) had pulled within three and had the ball, but the threat ended after Sha’la Jackson missed a two-point shot with 27 seconds to play.
“We dug ourselves into a hole, but we fought so hard just to get out of it,” said Jackson, a freshman reserve who had 17 points.
Sooners sophomore forward Amanda Thompson of Young matched her season high with four blocks.
*Fifth-seeded Notre Dame (24-8) ran off 14 straight points to take control of an eventual 75-62 win over No. 12 Southern Methodist. Sophomore guard Ashley Barlow led Notre Dame with 20 points.
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Edited by Bob Foltman from Tribune news services.
