NCAA Second Round - Fresno Region   1 2 FINAL St. John's 39 35 74 Oklahoma 36 34 70 Video Highlights  |  Box Score  |  Buy Oklahoma Basketball Gear    Quick Stats St. John's Oklahoma Points 74 70 FG Made - Attempted 27-65 23-48 FG Percentage .415 .479 3PT Made - Attempted 4-10 4-11 3PT Percentage .400 .364 FT Made - Attempted 16-19 20-24 FT Percentage .842 .833 Rebounds 31 37 Turnovers 8 19    Statistical Leaders St. John's Pts Rbs Asst St Blk  Nadirah McKenith 13 2 7 2 0  Eugeneia McPherson 21 2 2 2 0 Oklahoma Pts Rbs Asst St Blk  Whitney Hand 16 7 7 0 0  Nicole Griffin 12 5 0 0 1    Related Links  ♦ Big 12 Championship Central | Season Stats | Media Guide  ♦ Big 12 Mobile Apps | Big 12 Digital Network  ♦ Big 12 Report - presented by Dr Pepper

March Madness can magnify mistakes. Missed shots, defensive lapses, turnovers all become more important as each possession can be crucial.

Oklahoma learned that lesson in a season-ending loss. The sixth-seeded Sooners had too many empty possessions and lost to No. 3 seed St.John's, 74-70, Tuesday night in Norman, Okla., in the second round of the women's NCAA Tournament.

Oklahoma (21-13) committed 19 turnovers. That led to the Red Storm (24-9) to attempt 17 more shots and to score 21 points off the Sooners' miscues. In a game where OU had a chance to take the lead in the final minute, those numbers added up to a loss.

"That's been our weakness all year," said guard Whtiney Hand, who led Oklahoma with 16 points. "When we turn it over 19 times, we don't win very often."

Playing on their home court, the Sooners were trying the make their fourth consecutive Sweet 16. But they were facing a St. John's team familiar with close games and hostile environments. In the first round, the Red Storm edged Creighton on a buzzer-beating layup. Earlier this season, St. John's ended Connecticut's 99-game home-court winning streak.

The Sooners had a chance to tie on Aaryn Ellenberg's 3-pointer from the top of the key with 37 seconds left, but the ball ticked off the right side of the rim and went out of bounds.

"We had some very careless turnovers and even in light of that we would come back and tie it and go up by two," Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale said. "I just felt like every time we took a lead, they had a quick and immediate, strong answer for it.

"After a while, we just didn't have enough to keep coming back with that."

Eugenia McPherson had 17 of her game-high 21 points in the first half. She averages 12 points a game.

"That's what happens in the NCAA Tournament," Coale said. "People have career games and that's why you get to keep playing."

Oklahoma shot 48 percent and St. John's won for the first time in five games this season when allowing 70 points.

"Oklahoma's a great, great program, a tradition-rich program and for us to come into their building and be able to pull out a victory was just tremendous for us," St. John's coach Kim Barnes Arico said. "I'm excited. I'm excited to still be dancing."