Oklahoma-Texas Tech Game Notes

Feb. 15, 2001

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The 10th-ranked Oklahoma women's basketball team heads to Lubbock, Texas, to defend its perfect 6-0 conference road record. OU takes on 14th-ranked Texas Tech on Saturday, Feb. 17, at 1 p.m. inside the United Spirit Center.

No. 10/10 Oklahoma (19-4, 10-1) at No. 14/11 Texas Tech (19-4, 10-2)
* Saturday, Feb. 17, 2001 -- 1 p.m. (Central time)
* United Spirit Arena (capacity 15,050), Lubbock, Texas
* TV: Fox Sports Network
* Radio: KOMA-AM (1520)
Internet Radio: www.SoonerSports.com or www.KOMARadio1520.com

Saturday's game will be broadcast live by the Fox Sports Network with Bill Land (play-by-play) and Brenda VanLengen (color analyst) calling the action. In addition, all Oklahoma women's basketball games are broadcast on KOMA-AM (1520) radio station with Ed Murray (play-by-play) and Jenny Bramer (color analyst) on the headsets. This live broadcast also is available through OU's athletic department web site at www.SoonerSports.com.

While OU is undefeated on the road (in conference games), Texas Tech is almost unbeatable at home as the Lady Raiders boast an 11-1 home record and just recently saw its nation leading home-winning streak of 41 games snapped by Texas on Feb. 10.

The Big 12 showdown has Oklahoma winners of its last 11 games and 14 of its last 15 outings, while Tech is on the verge of its 12th straight 20-win season. TTU is 19-4 overall.

The Sooners enter the game with a 20-4 overall record and top the Big 12 with an 11-1 mark. Iowa State and Texas Tech are tied for second place with identical 10-2 league records.

Oklahoma is ranked 10th in both the AP and USA Today/ESPN coaches' polls while Texas Tech appears at No. 14 and No. 11, respectively, in the polls.

Since losing its first league game (to Iowa State), OU has rattled off 11 consecutive victories, including an impressive non-conference win over North Carolina, 94-77, on Jan. 21 in Chapel Hill, NC. The run betters the Sooners' previous best (10-0) established last season (Jan. 5-Feb. 8) and ties Texas Tech for most consecutive wins in league action at 10-0. Tech won 10 straight conference games during the 1997-98 season (Jan. 24-Feb. 28, 1998) after losing to ISU on Jan. 20, 1998. The Lady Raiders also won all three conference tournament games but mixed in was a non-conference loss to Stanford, 80-71, on Jan. 31, 1998.

SERIES RECORD OU vs. Texas Tech
TTU leads 17-4
Texas Tech leads the all-time series 17-4. However, Oklahoma defeated the Lady Raiders, 84-66, in its first of the two-game series earlier this year in Norman. Tech was ranked ninth in the AP and eighth in the coaches polls when the Sooners handed TTU its first conference loss of the season. Oklahoma has never beaten Tech in Lubbock.

The two teams split last year'sthrillers with each winning on its home court. OU won, 82-76, in Norman and TTU won, 86-81, in Lubbock. Oklahoma's win over Tech last year earned the Sooners a No. 25 national ranking for the first time since 1994-95.

OKLAHOMA (20-4, 11-1 BIG 12)
Oklahoma sports the nation's fourth best scoring average of 83.9 points per game. The Sooners are also ranked sixth in field goal percentage (48.7%) and seventh in three-point percentage (39.6%) plus 14th in the NCAA with the best won-lost percentage of 83.3 (20-4).

During OU's 11-0 run, the Sooners are averaging 86.5 points, 42.0 rebounds, shooting 51.3 percent from the field, 42.0 percent from the arc and 74.1 percent from the foul line. Oklahoma is also beating its opponents by an average margin of victory of 18.1 ppg. Before the streak started, Oklahoma averaged 81.8 ppg, 43.2 rpg and was shooting 46.3 percent from the field, 33.6 percent from the arc and 70.4 percent at the free throw line. Not once since OU's run started has an opponent outshot OU from the field and only Baylor produced a better three-point field goal percentage than the Sooners. OU's defense has held over half of its opponents to 40 percent or below from the field, producing a 16-0 record for the Sooners.

Three of Oklahoma's starters average double figures in scoring and the Sooners are led by two of the best players in the country. Junior All-America and Big 12 Player of the Year candidates LaNeishea Caufield (Ada, Okla.) and Stacey Dales (Brockville, Ontario) lead the team and rank among the NCAA best in scoring, steals and assists. Caufield tops the nation in thefts with 4.5 steals per game and is among the elite in scoring with a team-best 17.6 points per game. Caufield's free throw percentage of 85.5 percent (112-of-131) ranks first in the league. She also ranks second on the team in assists (3.5 apg) and fourth in rebounds (4.5 rpg).

Dales stands eighth in the country in assists (7.5) and has scored or assisted on 45.3 percent of Oklahoma's 741 field goals. The Conseco Nancy Lieberman-Cline Step Up Award finalist (the award is for the top point guard in the nation) has scored 20 points in two of the last three games and follows Caufield in scoring with 16.5 points per game. She also ranks second on the team in steals (2.9 spg) and third in rebounds (5.0 rpg).

Sophomore Caton Hill (Ada, Okla.) leads the team and ranks fourth in the conference in rebounds with 9.2 boards per game. Not only is she effective in the paint but the 6-1 power forward is the conference's most consistent 3-point shooter in league games, hitting 60.7 percent of her treys (17-of-28). Hill also averages 12.9 points and shoots 82.3 percent from the foul line to rank third best on the team. In addition, she has supplied the Sooners with nine double-doubles (10+ rebounds, 10+ points) this season, pushing her career total to 15.

A large part of Oklahoma's success this season also is due to the play of its other two regular starters, senior Sunny Hardeman (Norman, Okla.) and junior Jen Cunningham (Kingston, Ontario, Canada). Although Cunningham is nursing a knee injury right now, she was averaging 10.8 points and 7.8 rebounds over the six game prior to her injury. Hardeman has averaged 8.8 points per game over the last four games and has hit nine 3-pointers. She ranks third in the league in 3-point field goal percentage, hitting 45.8 percent of her long range bombs.

TEXAS TECH (19-4, 10-2 BIG 12)
Texas Tech's 41-game home court winning streak came to a halt on Feb. 10 when Texas upended the Lady Raiders, 63-57, in front of 14,852 fans, the largest home crowd of the season and the third largest crowd ever at the United Spirit Arena. The loss also marked Tech's first defeat in the United Spirit Arena since it opened in Nov. 1999 and its second ever Big 12 loss at home. The only other Big 12 game Tech has lost in Lubbock was against Oklahoma State, 78-56, Jan. 8, 1997.

Tech's last outing was a slim 49-45 victory over Kansas in Lawrence on Wednesday. Sophomore Plenette Pierson scored 13 of her 19 points in the second half to lead TTU in scoring, followed by Katrisa O'Neal who added nine points and six steals for the Lady Raiders. Jaclyn Johnson had 20 points and nine rebounds for Kansas (9-14, 3-9). Texas Tech forced 31 KU turnovers and held the Jayhawks to just 33 percent shooting from the floor. However, TTU had 21 fumbles and only shot 36 percent from the field.

Pierson leads the team in overall scoring with 13.5 points a game while freshman Jia Perkins ranks second with 12.7 ppg. Senior Katrisa O'Neal and junior Amber Tarr are averaging 11.2 and 10.4 points, respectively. Pierson also tops the team in rebounding with 7.6 boards a game followed by junior Tanisha Ellison at 6.7. Freshman Dionne Brown has a team-high 54.9 field goal percentage, while Ellison is shooting 51.1 percent and Pierson is at 49.3 percent. Perkins has a team high of 87 assists and O'Neal has a team-high 62 steals. Pierson is the top shot blocker with 29 blocks.

On the year, the Lady Raiders are shooting 43.7 percent from the field, 36.7 percent from three-point range and 68.3 percent from the free throw line.

UP NEXT
Oklahoma returns to the Lloyd Noble Center to host and close out the regular season home schedule with a two-game homestand. OU will host Baylor (Wed., Feb. 21) and Oklahoma State (Sat., Feb. 24) next week in the second game of the two-game series. OU is 5-1 at home in conference games and 9-1 overall.

The Sooners squeezed by Baylor, 90-87, in Waco and had a 29-point victory over the Cowgirls in Stillwater on Feb. 10.

PUT ME ON T.V.
Oklahoma sports an impressive 10-1 record when playing in a telvised game, including a 1-1 mark on FoxSports Network and a 1-0 record on ESPN2. However, Texas Tech is winless when playing on Fox Sports Net (0-2) and on ESPN2 (0-1).

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY
A year ago to the date (Feb. 14, 2000), Oklahoma took sole possession of first place in the Big 12 Conference standings. The Sooners repeated that task again on Valentine's Day with their 79-60 victory over Kansas State and Iowa State's 73-66 loss at Colorado. The two teams were tied for the top honor heading into Wednesday's games. Texas Tech followed a close third with its 49-45 win over Kansas on the road.

This marks only the second time in five years that Oklahoma has had the sole lead in the Big 12 Conference Standings.

DALES ENJOYS PLAYING THE LADY RAIDERS
Junior guard Stacey Dales (Brockville, Ontario) enjoys playing Texas Tech as she averages 20.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.2 asssists per game when playing TTU. She also shoots 55.4 percent from the field (36-of-65) and 73.5 percent from the free throw line (25-of-34) against the Lady Raiders. Dales' career high of 28 points was first established in her first ever game against Tech on Jan. 6, 1999 (she was a redshirt freshman). She has since scored 28 points against Baylor in Waco on Jan. 13, 2001.

CAUFIELD IS 2 THEFTS SHY OF CLAIMING SCHOOL RECORD
Junior All-America candidate LaNeishea Caufield (Ada, Okla.) is two steals shy of becoming Oklahoma's all-time pocket picker with 279 career steals. The record is 280 held by Jacquetta Hurley (1983-86). Caufield currently leads the nation in thefts with 4.5 per outing.

Caufield has collected five steals in seven of OU's last nine games including a career-best nine at Nebraska on Feb. 7. She also has been the team leaders in thefts in 19-of-24 games this season. The Oklahoman tops the team in points per game with 17.6.

A LOOK BACK AT KANSAS STATE
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) - Stacey Dales had 20 points and 10 assists as No. 10 Oklahoma beat Kansas State 79-60 on Wednesday night.

LaNeishea Caufield added 16 points to help Oklahoma (20-4, 11-1 Big 12) take the conference lead from Iowa State. Jamie Talbert had 11 points for the Sooners.

Kristin Rethman had 19 points for Kansas State (11-12, 1-11). Rethman made all five of her 3-point attempts.

Oklahoma scored the final 13 points of the first half to take a 38-23 lead.

"We struggle and step out of it for periods and become more focused," Dales said. "Suddenly, we're up seven, then it's nine, then 11. Good teams have to have that killer instinct."

The Sooners opened the second half with a 9-1 run and led by as many as 24 points.

"We talked about blowing it open," Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale said. "And we were able to do that in that last four or five minutes to get some flow. That was a reflection of what we thought could happen."

Oklahoma moved a game in front of Iowa State in the Big 12 standings with the No. 6 Cyclones' 73-66 loss at Colorado.

SOONERS NEARING MOST CONSECUTIVE WINS MARK
The Sooners are currently on an 11-game winning streak which tops the Big 12 Conference and is nearing OU's all-time record for most consecutive with of 13 established by the 1983-84 team.

A year ago, Oklahoma went on a 10-0 run after losing to the 2000 national champions Connecticut Huskies on Dec. 29.

SOONERS CLAIM EIGHTH 20-WIN SEASON
Oklahoma's 79-60 victory over Kansas State Wednesday night gave the Sooners their second

20-win season in as many years. It has been 13 years since an OU women's basketball team put together back-to-back 20-win seasons. The 1983-84, 1984-85 and 1985-86 teams accomplished this feat three years in a row.

TALBERT PERFORMS WELL AMONG THE TOP 5
Seward County Junior College transfer Jamie Talbert (Elkhart, Kan.) has appeared among the Sooners' starting five for the last five games. Talbert replaced junior center Jen Cunningham who's temporarily out with a torn ACL.

Over the past five games, Talbert has improved her scoring average to 9.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, including a career-best 11 boards vs. Nebraska on Feb. 7, and is shooting 59.4 percent from the field. For the year, she averages 6.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and shoots 54.2 percent from the field.

HILL NEARLY HAS 20/20
Sophomore All-Big 12 candidate Caton Hill (Ada, Okla.) was one rebound shy of registering the first 20/20 in Sherri Coale's era. Hill scored 22 points and ripped down a career-high 19 rebounds in OU's 76-47 victory over state rival Oklahoma State Saturday in Stillwater. This was the ninth double double for Hill this season and 15th of her career. She is one of three Sooners who averages 10+ points per game (12.9) and she tops the squad with 9.2 boards per outing.

DALES ACCOUNTS FOR 45.3% OF SOONERS' FIELD GOALS
All-America candidate Stacey Dales (Brockville, Ontario) has had a hand in nearly half of Oklahoma's 741 field goals this season. She tops the team with 155 field goals and has assisted on 181 field goals (eighth in the NCAA at 7.5 assists/game) to account for 45.3 percent of the Sooners' total field goals this season. Of Dales' 155 FGs, 20 have been three-pointers. Dales, the soon-to-be school recordholder in assists, moved into Oklahoma's top-15 career scoring list this season and currently has 1,161 points. Dales also became the only player in school history to score 1,000-plus points and dish out over 500 assists against Nebraska.

CAUFIELD RESETS OWN SCHOOL RECORD WITH 29 STRAIGHT FREE THROWS
Junior guard LaNeishea Caufield (Ada, Okla.) saw her streak end against Oklahoma State on Feb. 10 in Stillwater when she missed the second free throw of a two-shot foul attempt. Prior to that miss, Caufield had made 29 straight free throws. The Ada High graduate improved her own school record for most consecutive free throws made against Nebraska by making all six attempted foul shots. She also went 14-of-14 at Texas A&M, 8-of-8 vs. Missouri and hit her last two free throws against Texas Tech for her current run.

She has been perfect at the charity stripe in 11 different games this season. More impressive is that nine of the 11 games that Caufield has been flawless in have occurred on the road.

SEEING DOUBLE
All-Big 12 Conference candidate Caton Hill (Ada, Okla.) recorded her ninth double-double of the season when she scored 22 points and hauled down a career-high 19 rebounds at Oklahoma State Saturday. Oklahoma has tallied 15 double-doubles in 24 games by four different players. Other double-double performances for the Sooners this season include junior Stacey Dales (vs. K-State - 20 points, 12 assists, at OSU - 18 points, 10 rebounds, vs. SMU - 14 points, 14 assists), junior LaNeishea Caufield (at ORU - 22 points, 10 rebounds and vs. Iowa State - 13 points, 12 assists) and junior Jen Cunningham (vs. Texas - 18 points, 12 rebounds).

DALES CANDIDATE FOR TOP POINT GUARD OF THE YEAR AWARD
Junior Stacey Dales (Brockville, Ontario) is one of 10 finalist for the Conseco/Nancy Lieberman-Cline Step Up Award as recently announced by the Rotary Club of Detroit. The elite honor is given to the top collegiate point guard in Division I women's basketball. Dales is averaging 16.5 points, 7.5 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game for the 20-4 and 10th-ranked Sooners. Her mark for assists per game ranks first in the Big 12 Conference and eighth in the nation. Dales earned second-team All-Big 12 honors for the 1999-2000 season and was a preseason first-team All-Big 12 selection for 2000-01. She is the only player in OU women's basketball history to score more than 1,000 career points and dish out over 500 career assists. She was also named the Big 12 Player of the Week on Jan. 14.

The criterion for the Conseco Step Up Award is the floor leadership, play-making and ball-handling skills that personified Lieberman-Cline during her career. The award, now in its second season, is a national project of the Rotary Club of Detroit. The AP sportswriters from across the country will nominate the finalists and eventual winner. Sue Bird of Connecticut received the award for the 1999-2000 season.

Dales has also been nominated for the ESPN.com Point Guard of the Year and selected as one of the top-five point guards in the nation by ESPN play-by-play announcer Beth Mowins. She also competed for the Candadian Olympic team this past summer in Sydney, Australia.

The 2000-2001 award will be presented at a luncheon at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center on April 7 at Noon. Money raised at the event will be given to the American Cancer Society for direct support of various breast cancer initiatives, and to the Women's Sports Foundation, in creating an educated public that encourages participation in female athletics and supports gender equality in sports.

COALE-DALES AMONG ESPN.COM NOMINEE
Oklahoma's Head Coach Sherri Coale and Sooner point guard Stacey Dales (Brockville, Ontario) have been nominated for the ESPN.com Coach and Point Guard of the Year Awards. The finalist will be announced later this month with the winners attending an official ceremony on March 28 hosted by ESPN College Basketball.

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 on Jan. 28. The Sooners jumped two places to 10th after solid wins over Texas Tech and Kansas for the week of Jan. 22-28. The Sooners' highest ranking previously had been 11th for the week of Jan. 12, 1986.

OU also moved up one spot in the USA Today/ESPN Poll, going from No. 11 to No. 10 in this week's poll. This is OU's highest USA Today ranking of the season.

Oklahoma has been ranked in all 15 AP and USA Today/ESPN coaches' polls this year and 25-straight dating back to Jan. 17, 2000, OU's first appearance under OU coach Sherri Coale.

SOONER BACKCOURT ALL-AMERICA CANDIDATES
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 eighth in the NCAA and leads the team and league in assists with 7.5 per game. She also averages 16.5 points, second best on the team, while hustling for 5.0 rebounds and pocketing 2.9 steals per game. Dales shoots 48.7 percent from the field and 68.4 percent from the charity stripe. The Canadian also is among the league's best in assists, steals and scoring.

Caufield leads the nation in steals per game with 4.5 thefts per outing. She also tops the team in scoring with 17.6 points and is fourth in rebounding with 4.5 boards per game. The Oklahoman hits a league-best 85.5 percent of her free throws.

SOONERS DROP TO FOURTH IN THE NCAA IN SCORING
In the most recent NCAA Division I basketball statistics (released on Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2001), Oklahoma ranks in the following national stat categories ... No. 4 in scoring, averaging 83.9 points per game, No. 7 in three-point field goal percentage (39.6) and No. 6 in field goal percentage (48.7) and 14th in won-lost percentage (83.3%, 20-4).

Individually, the Sooners have two players that rank among the nation's elite in three categories. Juniors LaNeishea Caufield (Ada, Okla.) and Stacey Dales (Brockville, Ontario, Canada) ranks among the best in steals, free throw percentage and assists. Caufield leads the nation in thefts with 4.5 steals per game and 21st in free throw percentage, hitting 85.5 percent of her shots. Dales is eighth in the NCAA in assists per game with 7.5. Note: Oklahoma numbers include OU games to date.

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 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 return soon.

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

OU RANKS 7TH IN LATEST RPIs
The Sooners are seventh in the Collegiate Basketball News and WBCA/ Summerville RPI rankings this week. Oklahoma has played nine top-25 teams this year, producing a 5-4 record against the nation's best. OU defeated Texas Tech, 84-66, Southwest Missouri State, 89-82, Stanford, 102-98 OT, Texas, 85-74, and Baylor, 90-87.

SOONERS RANK 34TH IN NATIONAL ATTENDANCE
Oklahoma is ranked 34th 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 2,579 fans per game.

SOONERS IN THE COMMUNITY
The women's basketball team not only commits their time to on court functions but the Sooners are also very active within the community of Norman and surrounding areas.

This year, OU has already participated in numerous community service projects such as The First Lady's Build and Kid's Kitchen Reading Club.

Oklahoma's First Lady Kathy Keating took part in both community service projects with the Sooners. In the First Lady's Build, five collegiate women's sport programs assisted with the building of a house. OU's women's basketball and softball teams were two of the five programs.

In addition, guard LaNeishea Caufield and football standout Damian Mackey participated in the Kid's Kitchen Reading Club which is a national organization supporting the importances of reading for elementary school students.

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

OU has dished out 492 assists to its opponents' 318 and has pocketed 307 steals to its oppositions' 230.

Oklahoma is 18-0 when leading at halftime.

Oklahoma is 20-0 when producing a better field goal percentage than its opponents and 18-1 when making more field goals than its foes.

Oklahoma is 5-4 against nationally-ranked teams and 10-1 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 23 of 24 games.

Oklahoma is 9-1 inside the Lloyd Noble Center and has won 17 of its last 19 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 nine double-doubles this season and has 15 for her career.

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

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.

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.

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.

Senior Desiree Taylor (Richardson, Texas) missed four games this season due to tearing her PCL (post anterior cruciate ligament) against Baylor on Jan. 13.

SOONERS INK TWO IN EARLY SIGNING PERIOD
Head Coach Sherri Coale has received commitments from Dionnah Jackson (St. Louis, Mo.) and Antoinette Wadsworth (Grand Prairie, Texas) to attend OU and join Oklahoma's women's basketball program for the 2000-2001 season.

Jackson, a 5-9 guard from Parkway West High School, averages 13 points, four assists and five steals per game. According to the All-Star Girls Report, she is the sixth best point guard in the country and ranks 37th nationally. The four-year letterwinner is a three-time all-conference and a two-time all-district pick in the St. Louis Metro area. In addition, she's the school's record holder for most career steals.

Wadsworth, a 5-11 guard-forward from South Grand Prairie High School, is currently averaging 18.0 points and eight rebounds and is shooting 55 percent from the field. She is a first team All-District 5-5A selection and was a member of the gold medal Texas Junior Olympic team from a year ago.

OKLAHOMA SOONERS
OU has proven that its a very versatile and deep team this year as six different players have stepped up to lead the Sooners in scoring. OU also has eight players that are averaging 12-plus minutes per game this season. Oklahoma is a more mature and experienced team and with the added depth, Head Coach Sherri Coale believes she has the right mixture to strengthen the Sooners' chances of going deeper into the NCAA Tournament.

Oklahoma has continued to play an up-tempo, fast break type of offense, while extending its defense and applying more full court pressure due to the added depth.

The Sooners returned four starters and 10 letter-winners from last year's 25-8 NCAA Sweet 16 team. In addition, OU returned 73.7 percent of their points, 79.6 percent of their rebounds, 91.1 of their assists and 88.5 percent of their steals.

A LOOK BACK TO 2000
Last season was a stellar year for the Sooners as they captured a school-record 25 victories (25-8), won their first Big 12 Conference regular season title (13-3) and appeared in its first NCAA Sweet 16 Tournament, under the 64-team format. The Sooners ended the year with a final national ranking of No. 13 in the USA Today/Coaches Poll.

Prior to opening the Big 12 Conference schedule in early January Oklahoma hosted a school-record 10,713 fans for the OU-Connecticut game inside the Lloyd Noble Center on Dec. 29. It also marked the largest crowd ever to watch a women's sporting event in the state. One week later, Oklahoma defeated then 13th-ranked Texas Tech, 82-76, in Norman to return to the national spotlight with a No. 25 ranking. Following that win, OU raced out to an all-time best 9-0 Big 12 start, landing the Sooners atop the league. After ending January with a flawless 10-0 record, OU faced a tough February as the Sooners journeyed to national powers Iowa State and Texas Tech. Oklahoma, ISU and Tech concluded the conference schedule with identical 13-3 records.

Following an early exit from the Big 12 Tournament, Oklahoma put its energy in its first NCAA Tournament berth since 1995. Oklahoma was selected as a No. 5 seed in the East Region that featured 10 conference champions, an RPI of 12th, six teams ranked among the nation's top 25, the defending national champions, Purdue, and No. 1 Connecticut. Oklahoma picked up first- and second-round victories over BYU, 86-81, and Purdue, 76-74. The Sooners fought back from a 17-point deficit on the Boilmakers' home court to spoil Purdue's chance of a national title repeat. For only the second time in school history, Oklahoma women's basketball team worked its way into the NCAA Sweet 16. There, OU would see its season come to an end against national champion Connecticut. It took the nation's best team to end Oklahoma's best season ever.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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