"Absolutely cold-blooded","Wish she would have stayed": Fans left stumped as Sooners star Payton Verhulst stuns former team, Louisville Cardinals
Oklahoma Sooners guard Payton Verhulst balled out against her former program, the Louisville Cardinals, on Wednesday. The senior posted 21 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals while shooting 41.7%, including 50.0% from the 3-point line.
Behind her aggressive approach to the rack, Verhulst solidified six trips to the charity stripe in the last 2:21 of the game. She spearheaded eight of the 11th-ranked Sooners' last 10 points, leading to a 78-72 comeback win over No. 22 Louisville.
Fans stormed X behind Verhulst's monster game, appreciating the guard's big night.
"Absolutely cold-blooded for Payton Verhulst to hit the go-ahead jumper and then to seal the game with 4 free throws against her former team," a fan wrote.
"Payton Verhulst is one of my favorite players in the country to watch," On3's Talia Goodman posted.
"Payton Verhulst leads the way in scoring AND ices the game at the free throw line on her old home court Continuing a great start to this season for Oklahoma," a fan commented.
Cardinals fans also joined the Verhulst appreciation party.
"Former UofL player Payton Verhulst killed us, 21 pts, 7 reb, 3 ast and 3 Stl. She was the difference maker the second half…," a fan commented.
"Seeing one of my favorites @payton_verhulst back in the Yum on the other side. Wish she would have stayed. Glad she doing good tho," another fan wrote.
"Alrighty @payton_verhulst you didn’t have to cook us in the 2nd half like that! 🤣," another fan commented.
Payton Verhulst is the SEC Co-Player of the Week
A game before winning the game against her former basketball program, Verhulst dropped a triple-double against the No. 8 Duke Blue Devils in a losing OT endeavor.
Posting 29 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, she became the first player in program history to secure the statline since Courtney Paris in 2006. It was the second-highest triple-double since 1999, only behind Caitlin Clark's 30 points in 2023. She also led Oklahoma against the DePaul Blue Demons on Nov. 25 with 18 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and two blocks.
With that, Verhulst was honored with the SEC Co-Player of the Week award with LSU Tigers’ guard Aneesah Morrow. It was the first such award of her college career, making her the second player in Sooners’ history to clinch the feat.