Ellenberg scores 19 in No. 19 OU's 70-50 victory

LINCOLN, Neb. – Aaryn Ellenberg scored 19 points to lead four Oklahoma players in double figures and the No. 19 Sooners defeated Nebraska 70-50 in their Big 12 opener Saturday.

Whitney Hand added 18 points, Morgan Hook had 16 and Danielle Robinson 12.

Jordan Hooper scored 16 points and Catheryn Redmon had 10 for the Cornhuskers (10-5, 0-1), who shot a season-low 29.6 percent and committed 19 turnovers.

The Sooners (11-3, 1-0) came in off losses in three straight road games, but they had no problem in the Devaney Center against the defending Big 12 champions. The crowd never had a reason to get into the game. Both teams were sloppy early, and Nebraska stayed that way throughout.

The Sooners made 11 of 24 3-pointers, with Hand and Hook each hitting four.

Ellenberg and Hand took turns taking over the game as Oklahoma went out to a 37-21 halftime lead.

Ellenberg scored 12 of her team's 15 points in one stretch. She hit a 3-pointer just before the shot clock ran out to get her run started. Then she dribbled behind her back on her way to the hoop for a left-handed layup and converted a three-point play.

Hand had career highs of 24 points and 11 rebounds against TCU last Sunday in her first game back after missing most of last season because of a torn knee ligament, and she turned in another strong performance Saturday.

Hand hit a pair of 3s and a jumper to end the half. She made a 3 and a layup off a steal to stretch Oklahoma's lead to 52-32 early in the second half.

Hook made 4 of 6 3-pointers after going 1 for 8 from long range and being held to five points against TCU.

Nebraska struggled against Oklahoma's tight man-to-man defense, committing 12 first-half turnovers and putting up bad shots with the shot clock running down.

Hooper, the Huskers' season scoring leader as a freshman, threw up three air balls and missed badly on other shots before she settled down in the second half. By then it was too late.