NORMAN — Not again?

Yes, again.

For the second time this season, the Oklahoma women will have to put aside a disheartening and embarrassing loss to Baylor and get on with the rest of their season.

Last time, it was an 89-58 defeat to the top-ranked Bears from which OU emerged to slip past Missouri, at Columbia, 62-59.

This time, it’s an 81-54 loss and, once again, it’s Missouri waiting on the other side.

The Sooners and Tigers meet at 2 p.m. today inside Lloyd Noble Center.

OU (15-7, 7-4 Big 12) is still in position to challenge for second place in the conference race. Missouri (10-12, 0-11) is still waiting on its first conference win, its nearest winning effort being its Jan. 28 setback to the Sooners.

"It’s not all about one game, good or bad," OU coach Sherri Coale said, in quick reference to the Baylor loss.

It’s not.

Still, might one game kill all the momentum that led up to it?

Before the Sooners were trounced in Waco, they had put together their best stretch of the season: five wins in six conference games, including three on the forever tough Big 12 road, at Kansas State, Missouri and Kansas.

"I think we’re trying to get over it," said junior forward Joanna McFarland, who then went about explaining what that entails.

"A loss like that has to sting and it does. Like, we didn’t play our best game , they played well and they beat us badly and it hurts, but we’ve got to take that as fuel," she said. "We can’t think about, ‘Oh, man, we just lost by 20 points on national television.’ We have to be, like, ‘Hey, let’s kick the crap out of Missouri and let’s win out the rest of the Big 12 and get a good seed at the tournament and maybe we can beat (Baylor there)."

It’s a good thought.

The Sooners have a very busy stretch coming up, thanks to a visit from No. 3 Connecticut on Monday night. Yet, after that, they get Kansas State at home before traveling to Iowa State.

Those are two difficult but winnable games. Win tonight and win its next two in the conference and OU could soon be streaking again.

Having McFarland back from her broken jaw is one factor in the Sooners’ favor. Another has been the development of their freshmen and bench, pushed into more active duty since McFarland had to sit out.

Still, no looking ahead allowed.

"For us, we don’t have the luxury of looking past one day of practice," Coale said. "It’s always a work in progress. It’s about getting better tomorrow than we are today, and I know that sounds trite, but it’s the truth."

Missouri hasn’t won a game in the league. OU may not have to play too well to win. The Sooners, though, are sure to know the difference.

"I think we’re fine," Hand said.

She’ll know soon.