No. 10 Sooners Set To Take On Aggies

Jan. 30, 2001

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THE GAME
The 10th-ranked Oklahoma (15-4, 6-1 Big 12) women's basketball team travels to College Station, Texas to challenge Texas A&M in its final game of the two-game series. The Aggies will host the Sooners on Wednesday, Jan. 31, at 7 p.m. inside the Reed Arena located on TAM's campus.

The game with TAM will be broadcasted live by Oklahoma's KOMA-AM (1520) radio station and on the Internet at www.SoonerSports.com.

Oklahoma enters the game in a three way tie for first-place in the Big 12 Conference while Texas A&M sits at eighth with a 2-5 conference record. OU is tied with Iowa State and Texas Tech, each sporting a 6-1 record.

OU is currently on a six-game winning streak, the longest among Big 12 teams, and have won 10 of its last 11 contests. Over the past six games, the Sooners are averaging 89.7 points and 41.7 rebounds per game. Texas A&M has a 2-4 record over the past six games and are averaging 63.2 ppg and 37.0 rpg.

Oklahoma is ranked 10th in the AP and 12th in the USA Today/ESPN coaches' polls. Texas A&M is not ranked.

SERIES RECORD * OU vs. Texas A&M * OU leads 11-7
Oklahoma has won five straight and six of the last seven games against Texas A&M. The Sooners sport an all-time series record of 11-7 against the Aggies. The last time OU lost the Texas A&M was in 1998, 91-83, in College Station. OU's Head Coach Sherri Coale is 7-4 against TAM's Peggie Gillom.

OKLAHOMA (15-4, 6-1 BIG 12) LED BY COMMITTEE
Oklahoma has a more versatile and deeper team this year as six different players have stepped up to lead the Sooners in scoring. OU also has eight players that are averaging 10-plus minutes per game this season. This depth and versatility has make it tougher for OU's opponents to focus on stopping the Sooners' dynamitic duo of junior guards LaNeishea Caufield and Stacey Dales.

Preseason third-team All-America candidate LaNeishea Caufield (Ada, Okla.) not only leads the team in scoring with 16.7 points per game but she leads the nation in steals with 4.4 thefts per outing. Caufield has pocketed five steals in the last four games and has lead the team in thefts in 15 of OU's 19 games. Her quickness has sparked the Sooners' defense but it has also placed her on the free throw line 94 times, hitting 79 freebees. Caufield's free throw percentage of 84.0 percent ranks second on the team and fourth in the Big 12 Conference. She also ranks second on the team in assists (3.6 apg) and third in rebounds (4.6 rpg).

Preseason All-Big 12 selection and Conseco Nancy Lieberman-Cline Step Up Award candidate (the award is for the top point guard in the nation) Stacey Dales (Brockville, Ontario) follows Caufield in scoring with 16.4 points per game. However, Dales sports a team-best 7.4 assists, which ranks first in the Big 12 Conference and sixth in the nation in assists per game. In addition, Dales ranks second on the team and 20th in the nation in steals with 3.2 thefts per outing, plus she's fourth on the team in rebounds with 4.3 rpg.

Sophomore Caton Hill (Ada, Okla.) is the teams' top rebounder with 8.6 boards per game which rank fourth in the league. She also has supplied the Sooners with six double-doubles (10+ rebounds, 10+ points) this season, pushing her career total to 12. Hill's 12.8 points per game and free throw percentage of 81.6 percent is third best on the squad. Junior Jen Cunningham (Kingston, Ontario) tops the team in blocks with 1.4 per outing and ranks second on the team in rebounds with 6.5 rpg.

As a team, OU averages 84.2 points and grabs 41.7 rebounds per game compared to its opponents' 73.0 points and 36.8 rebounds.

TEXAS A&M (12-6, 2-5 BIG 12)
Texas A&M enters Wednesday's game loser of four of its last six outings, however, the Aggies upset nationally-ranked Baylor, 87-81, in College Station on Jan. 20. TAM also defeated Nebraska, 67-65, at home on Jan. 7. Texas A&M has suffered Big 12 Conference losses to Missouri, 69-61, Texas Tech, 85-78, Texas, 62-49, OU, 97-84, and Oklahoma State, 85-69.

Texas A&M is coming off of the 85-69 loss to Oklahoma State in Stillwater. Senior Jaynetta Saunders led the team for the six consecutive game with 31 points. Janae Derrick and Brandy Jones added 14 and 11 points, respectively. Defensively, Derrick ripped down a game-high 14 rebounds. Texas A&M was only able to shoot 38.6 percent from the field compared to OSU's 51.5 performance.

Saunders's performance against the Cowgirls marked the fourth straight game with 30-plus points and the fifth of the last six over the 30-point barrier. She has now scored 30 points in a game more times than any other player in school history.

For the season, Saunders averages 23.4 ppg and 7.6 rpg, followed by Jones' 12.2 ppg and 3.9 rpg.

The Aggies have posted the most wins since 1995-96 with a 12-5 record. They are still searching for back-to-back Big 12 Conference wins.

As a team, Texas A&M ranks seventh in the league in scoring at 73.3 ppg and 10th in rebounding with 37.2 rpg. The Aggies are shooting 42.4 percent from the field, 34.4 percent from three-point range and 65.8 percent from the free throw line.

UP NEXT
Oklahoma returns to the friendly confines of the Lloyd Noble Center for a 3 p.m. game against Missouri on Saturday, Feb. 3. OU is 7-1 at home and 3-1 against conference opponents.

Missouri holds a 27-16 all-time series advantage over the Sooners. However, OU snapped MU's four-game winning streak a year ago with a hard fought 76-71 victory in Columbia.

EARLIER THIS YEAR -- OU WINS 97-84 OVER TEXAS A&M
NORMAN (AP) -- Jen Cunningham scored 18 points, including 10 in the first half, to lead Oklahoma to a 97-84 victory over Texas A&M on Jan. 17, in Norman.

Cunningham added nine rebounds for the Sooners (12-4, 4-1), who had five players score in double figures.

Jaynetta Saunders' career-high 35 points led the Aggies (11-5, 1-4), but her 14 first-half points couldn't keep the Aggies in it. Texas A&M shot just 34 percent from the field in the first half.

Oklahoma opened with a 16-2 run, and Texas A&M didn't make its second field goal until there was 14:16 left in the half.

Saunders' seven points highlighted a 12-4 run by the Aggies that cut OU's lead to 24-22.

But the Sooners responded with a 20-6 run to take a 44-28 lead at halftime.

Hill had 13 points and five rebounds for Oklahoma while LaNeishea Caufield added 17 points and five steals.

Toccara Williams had 11 points, six assists and four steals for Texas A&M, and Brandy Jones added 13 points and three steals.

A LOOK BACK AT TEXAS TECH
NORMAN (AP) -- Since losing to No. 7 Iowa State on a game-winning shot, Oklahoma guard Stacey Dales says the Sooners have worked on establishing themselves early in games.

That work has paid off.

In the three weeks since the loss to Iowa State, No. 12 Oklahoma has five straight conference wins, including an 84-66 victory over No. 9 Texas Tech Sunday.

"I thought it was incredibly important that we stopped any momentum Texas Tech tried to build," Dales said. "Three weeks ago, that was our problem.

"Ever since the Iowa State game, we've established ourselves."

Against the Lady Raiders, Oklahoma got going from the opening tip.

Oklahoma (15-4, 6-1) never trailed after taking an 8-0 lead over Texas Tech (15-3, 6-1).

The Lady Raiders missed their first five shots and committed two turnovers during that stretch. The Sooners led 39-27 at halftime.

Natalie Richie's 3-pointer with 5:51 left cut Oklahoma's lead to 65-55, the closest Tech would get the rest of the way. Richie came off the bench to finish with a career-high 15 points.

The Sooners pressured the Lady Raiders' perimeter shooters, limiting Tech to 37.7 percent shooting.

"I was a little disappointed at how we handled their pressure early in the game," said Texas Tech coach Marsha Sharp, who was denied her 450th victory Sunday. "Every time that we made a mistake, they made us pay for it."

The win put Oklahoma in a tie with Texas Tech and Iowa State for first place in the Big 12 Conference standings.

"This is a very big win for our program," Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale said. "It puts us in the driver's seat in the Big 12."

"We're back in control of our own destiny, and we haven't had that luxury in a couple of weeks."

Oklahoma's Caton Hill led all scorers with 22 points. Dales finished with 21 points and six assists, while LaNeishea Caufield scored 19 points for the Sooners.

Jia Perkins had 15 points and Plenette Pierson scored 12 and grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds for Texas Tech.

OKLAHOMA EARNS HIGHEST RANKING EVER
Oklahoma made the Top 10 list in the women's basketball AP Poll for the first time in school history Monday afternoon. The Sooners jumped two places to 10th after solid wins over Texas Tech and Kansas last week. The Sooners' highest ranking previously had been 11th the week of Jan. 12, 1986.

OU also moved up one spot in the USA Today/ESPN Poll, going from No. 13 to No. 12. This is OU's highest USA Today ranking of the season.

Oklahoma has been ranked in all 13 AP and USA Today/ESPN coaches' polls this year.

BIG 12 HAS SIX TEAMS RANKED IN AP POLL FOR FIRST TIME EVER
The Big 12 Conference has half of its membership ranked in the Associated Press Women's Basketball Poll for the first time ever. The league has had five teams ranked on four occasions, the previous three weeks and November 17, 1997. Big 12 teams ranked in the January 29 poll include: No. 8 Iowa State, No. 10 Oklahoma, No. 12 Texas Tech, No. 20 Baylor, No. 21 Texas and No. 23 Colorado. In addition, Oklahoma State and Missouri received votes. Oklahoma is making its first-ever appearance in the Top 10. The Sooners' previous high ranking was 11th on Jan. 12, 1986.

CUNNINGHAM SUFFERS THIRD TORN ACL
Junior Jen Cunningham (Kingston, Ontario, Canada) suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her right knee against Texas Tech on Saturday, Jan. 28. This is the third torn ACL in Cunningham's basketball career. She experienced her first ACL injury prior to her senior year in high school and reinjuried the same knee (left) as a sophomore at Miami (Fla.) on Dec. 19, 1999. The 6-3 center is expected to miss the following three to four weeks.

Cunningham is averaging 6.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in 22.4 minutes of action this season. However, in the last six games, she's produced 10.8 ppg and 7.8 rpg in 26.3 minutes of play.

A LOOK AT THE LAST 10 GAMES
Oklahoma is one of the hottest teams in the country as the Sooners have won 10 of their last 11 games. Iowa State, Texas Tech and Colorado are 8-2 in their last 10 outings. Baylor is 7-3 and Missouri is 6-4 in their last 10. Texas, Texas A&M and Oklahoma State are even in their last 10 contests while Kansas State is 4-6, and Kansas and Nebraska are 3-7.

SIZZLING SOONERS
Over the past six games, Oklahoma is shooting 54.2 percent from the field, 47.3 percent from beyond the arc and 76.7 percent from the foul line. Not once in the last six games has an opponent outshot OU from the field and only Baylor produced a better three-point field goal percentage than the Sooners. Oklahoma has also outrebounded five of its last six teams, including an 11 board advantage over Kansas.

TAYLOR TO RETURN TO ACTION
Senior Desiree Taylor (Richardson, Texas) is expected to play in Wednesday's game against Texas A&M. The 6-1 center has missed the past two weeks due to tearing her PCL (post anterior cruciate ligament) against Baylor on Jan. 13. Taylor is averaging 1.5 points and 1.3 rebounds in 7.3 minutes of action this season.

DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Even though Oklahoma likes a fast-paced offense, the Sooners know the importance of good solid defensive pressure. That fact is shown in the Sooners' holding 10 of their 19 opponents to 40 percent or below from the field which in return produces a 12-0 record for OU. Opponents are shooting 39.5 percent from the field against the Sooners, including just 32.5 percent from three-point territory. Oklahoma has also collected 240 steals as opposed to its opponents' 191. In addition, the Sooners have outrebounded their opponents by 94 boards (793-699 overall).

OU RANKS 7TH IN LATEST RPI
The Sooners are ranked eighth in the WBCA/ Summerville RPI and seventh in the Collegiate Basketball News Women's RPI College Basketball Rankings this week.

The Sooners have played nine top-25 teams this year. OU is 5-4 against the nation's best, defeating Texas Tech, 84-66, Southwest Missouri State, 89-82, Stanford, 102-98 OT, Texas, 85-74, and Baylor, 90-87.

SOONER BACKCOURT TANDEM AS GOOD AS IT GETS
Juniors LaNeishea Caufield (Ada, Okla.) and Stacey Dales (Brockville, Ontario) are one of the best guard tandems in America. Caufield and Dales lead the Sooners and are among the Big 12 Conference and NCAA best as they post impressive numbers.

Dales ranks sixth in the NCAA and leads the team and Big 12 Conference in assists with 7.4 per game. She also averages 16.4 points, second best on the team, while hustling for 4.3 rebounds and pocketing 3.2 steals per game, which ranks 20th in the nation. Dales shoots 47.2 percent from the field and 69.8 percent from the charity stripe. The Canadian also is among the league's best in four categories: assists, assists/turnover ratio, steals and scoring.

Caufield leads the nation, Big 12 Conference and team in steals per game with 4.5 thefts per outing. She also leads the squad in scoring with 16.7 points per game and is third in rebounding with 4.6. The Oklahoman hits 84.0 percent of her free throws.

SOONERS RANK 32ND IN NATIONAL ATTENDANCE
Oklahoma is ranked 32nd in this week's unofficial NCAA Division I Women's Basketball home attendance survey, which is compiled by the University of Wisconsin Women's Sports Information Office. The Sooners are averaging 2,506 fans per game.

SOONERS RANK 4TH IN THE NCAA IN SCORING
In the most recent NCAA Division I basketball statistics (released on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2001), Oklahoma ranks in the following national stat categories ... No. 4 in scoring, averaging 84.2 points per game, 13th in field goal percentage (48.8) and No. 14 in three-point field goal percentage (40.4).

Individually, the Sooners have two players that rank among the nation's elite in two categories. Juniors LaNeishea Caufield (Ada, Okla.) and Stacey Dales (Brockville, Ontario, Canada) ranks among the best in steals and assists. Caufield leads the nation in thefts with 4.47 steals per game while Dales ranks 20th in steals per game with 3.16 and sixth in the NCAA in assists per game with 7.42. Note: Oklahoma numbers include OU games to date.

TAYLOR RETURNS TO ACTION
Senior Desiree Taylor (Richardson, Texas) is expected to play in Wednesday's game against Texas A&M. The 6-1 center has missed the past two weeks due to tearing her PCL (post anterior cruciate ligament) against Baylor on Jan. 13. Taylor is averaging 1.5 points and 1.3 rebounds in 7.3 minutes of action this season.

DOUBLE DOSE
Sophomore Caton Hill (Ada, Okla.) is tied for fourth in the Big 12 Conference with the most double-doubles this year with six. Hill recorded her sixth double double when she scored 17 points and ripped down 12 rebounds against Texas on Jan. 10. The power forward has produced a double double each time she has faced the Longhorns. Hill has 12 career double-doubles.

From Dec. 18 to Jan. 3, Hill produced four straight double-doubles, including career highs of 25 points and 15 rebounds at Colorado on Jan. 3.

JUCO ALL-AMERICANS MAKING IMPACT
Junior College All-Americans Rosalind Ross (Milwaukee, Wis.) and Jamie Talbert (Elkhart, Kan.) have made an immediate impact on the women's basketball program. Ross has played in all 19 games and averages 18.5 minutes per game while Talbert has seen action in 18 contests and plays 13.2 minutes per outing.

Ross, a three-point specialist, has hit over 35.7 percent (20-of-56) of her shots from beyond the arc and is shooting 42.9 percent (9-of-21) against Big 12 opponents. She also contributes 7.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.

Talbert, a forward, averages 5.9 points and 2.9 rebounds per game while shooting 52.0 percent (39-of-75) from the field.

SOONER BRIEFS

In each game this year at least three OU players have scored in double digits.

OU has dished out 391 assists to its opponents' 258 and has pocketed 240 steals to its oppositions' 191.

Oklahoma is 13-0 when leading at halftime.

Oklahoma is 15-0 when producing a better field goal percentage than its opponents and 13-1 when making more field goals than its foes.

Oklahoma is 5-4 against nationally-ranked teams and 7-1 in televised games.

OU won its first double overtime game with a 65-63 win at San Diego.

Junior Jen Cunningham (Kingston, Ontario) now ranks ninth on OU's all-time blocked shots list with 45.

LaNeishea Caufield (Ada, Okla.) has scored in double figures in 18 of 19 games.

Oklahoma is 7-1 inside the Lloyd Noble Center and has won 15 of its last 17 home games.

Senior Sunny Hardeman (Norman, Okla.) and junior Stacey Dales (Brockville, Ontario) serve as the team co-captains.

Sophomore Caton Hill (Ada, Okla.) has produced six double-doubles this season and has 12 for her career.

Junior guard LaNeishea Caufield (Ada, Okla.) scored her 1,000th career point against Georgia on Nov. 22. Caufield now has 1,257 career points.

OU's largest margin of victory this season has been 41 points at UALR.

Stacey Dales' (Brockville, Ontario) 14 assists against SMU on Dec. 9 tops the Big 12 Conference and ranks third for most assists ever in a single game for a Sooner.

Junior Stacey Dales (Brockville, Ontario) became the 16th player in Oklahoma women's basketball history to score 1,000-points. Dales surpassed this milestone by matching a career-high 28 points in OU's 90-87 victory at Baylor on Jan. 13. She scored her 1,000th point on a jumper with eight seconds to play in the opening half. The Canadian native has scored 303 points this season, pushing her career total to 1,098.

Caton Hill (Ada, Okla.) had three straight double-doubles over the holiday break to capture Big 12 Conference Player of the Week honors in a vote of a media panel for games during Dec. 18-31. Hill led OU with 22 points and 10 rebounds in the Sooners' 102-98 overtime win against Stanford. Against North Texas, she scored 14 points and had 11 rebounds. Vs. San Diego, she had 14 points and 11 rebounds. Over the three- game span, she averaged 16.0 points and 11.3 rebounds and shot 59.0 from the field (23- for-39) while playing 30.7 minutes per game.

Senior Sunny Hardeman (Norman, Okla.) hit a career-high six of eight three-pointers en route to scoring a career-high 20 points against Iowa State on Jan. 6. Hardeman's performances around the arc has moved her up to No. 5 on the career three-pointers made chart with 102. She also ranks on the all-time assists list at No. 9 with 248.

Stacey Dales (Brockville, Ontario, Canada) was named the Big 12 Conference Player of the Week for games played from Jan. 8-14. Dales led Oklahoma to wins over No. 14 Texas and No. 23 Baylor as she averaged 20.5 points, 8.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds. She also shot 50 percent from the field, hitting 14-of-28 attempted shots, and nailed 78.6 percent of her free throw attempts (11-of-14). The 6-1 junior point guard scored 13 points vs. Texas and contributed eight assists and four rebounds. At Baylor, Dales surpassed the 1,000-point plateau with a career-high 28 points, including six points in the final two minutes of action. She also had eight assists, four rebounds and shot 52.9 percent (9-of-17) from the field.

Oklahoma was picked to finish second by Big 12 coaches and third by the media in a Big 12 Conference Women's Basketball preseason voting. In addition, OU point guard Stacey Dales was one of five players placed on the preseason All-Big 12 first team while junior teammate LaNeishea Caufield received votes.

The last time Oklahoma opened league action with a 20-point win was against Nebraska, 79-58, in Norman in 1995-96. OU defeated Colorado by 20, 89-69, in Boulder on Jan. 3.

Against Stanford, six OU players scored in double figures, marking the first time since the 1995-96 season that this feat had been accomplished. In 1995, six players posted 10 or more points in OU's opening game at TCU and seven players recorded double digits in scoring two games later vs. North Texas.

Against Colorado, three Sooners scored 20-or-more points in a single game for the first time since 1992. Caton Hill (Ada, Okla.) led the way with a career-high 25 points followed by LaNeishea Caufield's (Ada, Okla.) season-high 22 and Stacey Dales (Brockville, Ontario) had 20. Against Kansas State in 1992, Carin Stites scored 23 points while Angi Guffy had 22 and Mandy Wade added 20 in OU's 88-73 win in Manhattan.

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