Dales and Coale Receives Big 12 Top Honors

March 2, 2001

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NORMAN, Okla. - A week after the University of Oklahoma women's basketball team clinched the Big 12 Conference regular season title outright the league named OU point guard Stacey Dales (Brockville, Ontario) and Sooner Coach Sherri Coale as the conference's player and coach of the year, marking the second consecutive year that Oklahoma swept the Big 12 top awards. In addition, Dales, LaNeishea Caufield and Caton Hill were selected to the All-Big 12 teams as voted on by the league coaches and released by the conference office Friday.

The trio have led the Sooners to back-to-back Big 12 titles, an overall record of 24-4 and a 15-1 conference mark. They also have OU ranked seventh in the nation and on a school and conference 15-game winning streak.

Former Sooner Phylesha Whaley and Coale won the player and coach of the year honors last season for the first time in school history.

Dales, who received 11 of 12 top votes for player of the year (coaches can't vote for their own players), headlines the five member All-Big 12 first team selections, while Caufield and Hill appear on the All-Big 12 second team.

"Our having three players selected to the all-conference team is a reflection of our balance," stated Coale. "While we undoubtedly have a go-to player in Stacey Dales, we are not a team that relies on one or even two players to carry all of the load. We have excellent chemistry and a lot of contributors. Sometimes that's why our player's individual numbers appear modest. Yet when three are included among the top 10 players in the conference that is a testament to their performances over the last two months."

Dales enters the Big 12 Tournament leading the league and ranked sixth in the nation with 7.8 assists per game. She also leads the conference in assists/turnover ratio at 1.82. The Canadian ranks second on the team in scoring with 16.4 points and third in rebounds with 5.3 boards per game. Dales was recently named to the Women's Basketball News Service All-American first team and is a finalist for the Nancy Lieberman-Cline Step Up and ESPN.com Point Guard of the Year awards. The two-time Big 12 Player of the Week selection is also one of six student-athletes named to the Verizon All-Academic team for District VI and is a finalist for national academic honors.

"This is an exceptional honor and it came as a great surprise based on the company that I'm associated with. There are some very talented players in this league and on this team," said Dales. "It's a credit to our team and how well we play as a unit. This award extends from myself, to my teammates and to my coaches."

"It's hard to decide where to begin when talking about Stacey Dales," Coale said. "She's had a great year. Stacey is a complete player - a leader who makes a difference in every single phase of the game. Undoubtedly, her Olympic experience this summer took her game to another level. She has been tougher mentally and physically, and she has proven herself down the stretch over and over as a player who wants the ball in her hands. And she is going to make good things happen when she gets it. She is our leader and her swagger is infectious."

Coale guided this year's team to its second straight and first outright Big 12 Conference regular season title. She has her team ranked seventh in the AP and eighth in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Polls and sports an OU and conference record 15-game winning streak.

"I am simply smart enough to surround myself with outstanding people," added Coale." "This should be a staff award instead of a 'Coach of the Year' award. We've done this together. Jan Ross and Bo Overton have terrific basketball minds and are instrumental every single day in preparing our players to perform well when the lights are on. Ultimately this is the refection of a group of players who do just that. They step onto the basketball court and make plays. We have a team that has performed very well and I get way too much credit for that. Players win games, period."

It only took three years for Coale to return the Sooners to postseason action as OU participated in the 1999 WNIT, followed by last year's impressive 25-8 record and NCAA Sweet 16 run. She is a Naismith College Basketball Coach of the Year finalist and a candidate for the ESPN.com Coach of the Year. Coale has already been selected as cbssportsline.com Coach of the Year while the Sooners received runner-up honors for the Team of the Year.

Caufield, who was named the Women's Basketball News Service Defensive Player of the Year earlier this week, tops the nation in steals with 4.4 thefts per game. She has pocketed a school record 122 steals this season. The two-time All-Big 12 selection leads the Sooners in scoring with 16.8 ppg, ranks second in assists (3.4) and fourth in rebounds (4.5). The 5-9 guard also set a school record for most consecutive free throws made with 29 straight earlier this season.

Hill makes her first appearance on an All-Big 12 team this season. She finished second to Texas Tech's Plenette Pierson for the league's freshman of the year honors a year ago. Hill leads the team in double-doubles with 10 plus tops the squad in rebounds with 9.0 boards and is third in scoring with 12.6 points per game.

"It shows the depth and versatility of our team," stated Dales about OU having three players among the league's top10. "I think this shows a complete team atmosphere and that a lot of people contribute in different ways to make us successful. You need to be able to have a lot of different options to reach the Elite Eight and Final Four in the NCAA Championship. I think we have those tools."

2000-01 All-Big 12 Conference Women's Basketball Team First Team

Player, School	Pos.	Ht.	Cl.	Hometown
Stacey Dales, Oklahoma	G	6-0	Jr	Brockville, Ontario, Canada
Angie Welle, Iowa State	C	6-4	Jr	Fargo, N.D.
Sheila Lambert, Baylor	G	5-7	Jr	Seattle, Wash.
Danielle Crockrom, Baylor	F	6-2	Jr	Houston, Texas
Amanda Lassiter, Missouri	F	6-1	Sr	San Francisco, Calif.

Second Team

Player, School	Pos.	Ht.	Cl.	Hometown
LaNeishea Caufield, Oklahoma	G	5-9	Jr	Ada, Okla.
Jaynetta Saunders, Texas A&M	F	5-11	Sr	Louisville, Ky.
Megan Taylor, Iowa State	G	5-10	Sr	Roseau, Minn.
Plenette Pierson, Texas Tech	F/C	6-2	So	Kingwood, Texas
Caton Hill, Oklahoma	F	6-2	So	Ada, Okla.

Third Team

Player, School	Pos.	Ht.	Cl.	Hometown
Nicole Ohlde, Kansas State	F	6-4	Fr	Clay Center, Kan.
Katrisa O'Neal, Texas Tech	G	5-6	Sr	Plainview, Texas
Lindsey Wilson, Iowa State	G	5-9	So	Seattle, Wash.
Mandy Nightingale, Colorado	G	5-6	Jr	Sapulpa, Okla.
Jenny Roulier, Colorado	G	5-9	Jr	Englewood, Colo.

Honorable Mention
Britt Hartshorn, Colorado, Tracy Gahan, Iowa State, Jaclyn Johnson, Kansas, Brooke Reves, Kansas, Jennifer Jackson, Kansas, Marlena Williams, Missouri, Casey Leonhardt, Nebraska, Kara Faulk, Oklahoma State, JoRuth Woods, Texas, Stacy Stephens, Texas, Jia Perkins, Texas Tech.

Coach of the Year:Sherri Coale, Oklahoma
Player of the Year:Stacey Dales, Oklahoma
Newcomer of the Year:Sheila Lambert, Baylor
Freshman of the Year:Nicole Ohlde, Kansas State

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Dales and Coale Receives Big 12 Top Honors

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