OU Faces Henderson State Wednesday

Henderson State (7-3)
at
Oklahoma (7-3)

Date: Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2004
Location: Norman, Okla.
Arena: Lloyd Noble Center
Tipoff: 7 p.m.
Television: O-Zone
Radio: KOKC (1520 AM)
Series: First Meeting
Rankings: Not ranked
Promotions: Kids Take Over The Lloyd Noble Center - Sooner Kids Club members have a chance to see what goes on behind the scenes. Kids can sign up to be a team manager, work with the Sooner Vision crew or help call the game on the radio.

After taking a five day break for the holiday, the Oklahoma women's basketball team (7-3) returns to the court Wednesday, Dec. 29, to host Henderson State (7-3), an NCAA Division II team, at 7 p.m. inside the Lloyd Noble Center.

Sooner fans can listen to play-by-play action as OU's Brian Brinkley and Tara DeGiusti calls the game on KOKC-AM (1520) and on www.SoonerSports.com. The game will also be broadcasts on the O-Zone.

Wednesday's event will be co-hosted by the Sooner Kids Club. A total of 162 kids will be participating in “Kids Take Over the Lloyd Noble Center” promotion. This promotion gives kids, from kindergarten to 8th grade, opportunities to take part in running an athletic event. They will assist in numerous areas such as media relations, band, Sooner Vision, cheerleaders, ushers, etc.

OU is riding a three-game winning streak an has appeared to found its shooting stroke as the Sooners have shot 45.5 percent from the field and an impressive 49.2 percent from three-point land over the last three games. OU has hit 30-of-61 attempted treys, while holding its opponents to just 31.5 percent from the arc. Four players have averaged double digits in scoring during this time period; Dionnah Jackson (14.3), Leah Rush (14.3), Chelsi Welch (13.3) and Erin Higgins (12.7). The Sooners have also dished out 61 assists to its opponents 28.

OU opens its Big 12 Conference slate on Jan. 5 against Texas Tech in Lubbock at 7 p.m. The Lady Raiders are currently 7-2 on the season and ranked No. 12/14 in the AP and USA Today/ESPN Coaches polls. Tech host Sacramento State (D27) and Idaho State (J2) before seeing the Sooners.

PROBABLE STARTERS
OKLAHOMA (7-3)
24 F   Leah Rush (6-1, So., Amarillo, Texas, 12.5 ppg 7.0 rpg)
34 G   Erin Higgins (5-9, So., Oklahoma City, Okla., 8.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg)
35 G   Dionnah Jackson (5-9, Sr., St. Louis, Mo., 14.8 ppg, 7.9 rpg)
11 G   Laura Andrews (6-0, Jr., Washington, Okla., 4.7 ppg, 2.0 rpg)
00 G   Chelsi Welch (5-9, So., Plainview, Texas, 8.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg)

HENDERSON STATE (7-3)
11 G   Julie Anderson (5-2, Sr., Greenland, Ark., 2.5 ppg, 1.7 rpg)
12 G Saprina Reed (5-11, Sr., England, Ark., 10.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg)
43 G Satoya Spates (6-0, Sr., Malone, Fla., 8.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg)
24 F   Marquetia Thomas (5-11, Jr., Jackson, Miss., 9.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg)
02 F   Aesha Carter (6-2, Sr., Decatur, Ala., 15.1 ppg, 8.9 rpg)

OKLAHOMA (7-3)
Oklahoma is lead by senior All-America candidate Dionnah Jackson. The 5-9 point guard has been the team's leader for the past three seasons. She currently tops the squad in 10 categories including scoring (14.8), rebounding (7.9) assists (5.2), steals (2.7) and blocks (1.3).

Sophomore Leah Rush ranks second on the squad with 12.5 ppg and 7.0 rpg. Rush has battle foul trouble in OU's last two games, averaging 9.0 ppg and 4.5 rpg.

OU has three additional players contributing five-plus points per game; Chelsi Welch (8.5), Erin Higgins (8.5) and Lauren Shoush (5.5).

Head coach Sherri Coale has 11 players that are averaging 10-plus minutes per game. Only Jackson, Rush, Welch and Higgins are playing 20 minutes or more per contest.

As a team, Oklahoma is averaging 71.1 points and 41.3 rebounds per game. The Sooners are shooting 34.6 percent from the three-point range and an improved 41.7 percent from the field.

HEAD COACHES
Sherri Coale (Oklahoma Christian, 1987) is in her ninth season as the head coach at Oklahoma. Coale has built an outstanding resume in that time, leading the Sooners to post season action the last six years, as well as one Final Four and three Big 12 regular-season titles. She has posted a 163-98 career record and coached in the national championship game in 2001-02, falling to undefeated Connecticut, 82-70. Before taking over the reigns of the OU program, Coale was the head coach at Norman High School from 1990-96, winning two Oklahoma 6A state titles in that time.

Henderson State is coach by Jeff Caldwell (Mississippi, 1991). Caldwell is in his third season with the Lady Reddies and has produced a school and career record of 50-26.

He has led HSU to the NCAA Division II South Regionals for the past two years, won its first Gulf South Conference Tournament title, followed by a NCAA South Region Championship, and a win in the first round of the Elite 8.

Prior to HSU, Caldwell served as an assistant coach at Texas A&M for three seasons.

HENDERSON STATE (7-3)
Every player on Henderson State's roster is averaging double digit minutes and all but two have appeared in a starting lineup at least once this season.

HSU enters Wednesday's game against Oklahoma with a 7-3 NCAA Division II record. The Lady Reddies started the season off losing two of their first three games. HSU defeated South Carolina before losing to Wisconsin-Parkside and Anderson College in the Disney Tip-off Classic.

Following the two losses, HSU would then rattle off five straight victories. The Lady Reddies opened up Gulf South Conference East Division action with a 67-64 loss to West Alabama, followed by a road win over Alabama-Huntsville.

Henderson State is lead by a trio of seniors in Aesha Carter, Saprina Reed and Maggie Sauls. Carter leads the team in scoring (15.1 ppg) and rebounding (8.9 rpg). The Memphis transfer has completed six double-doubles this season.

Reed tops the program with 2.9 steals per game. She is also averaging 10.8 points per contest, while Sauls contributes 10.4 ppg and 3.8 rpg.

SERIES HISTORY
First meeting.

WHAT IS A REDDIES?
Throughout the years, the teams of Henderson State University have been known as “Reddies.” Several stories persist as to how the name originated, but no doubt it came from the color of the jerseys worn by the first football team. Early editions of student publications refer to the players as “Red Jackets” and at other times as “Red Men.” The initial edition of the Oracle, October 6, 1908, contains a story that Nellie Hartsfield had the honor of naming the football team the “Red Jackets” and received an annual pass to the games.

By 1908, however, the newspaper writers were referring to them simply as “Reds.” A plausible explanation for the evolution to “Reddies” is that it fitted into pep songs and yells better than the shorter and more blunt “Reds.” In later years, well-meaning sports writers have called the teams “Redskins,” “Indians,” and “Big Red,” but the name “Reddies,” apparently originating from the red of the red and gray school colors, has stuck and the teams therefore remain without the traditional mascot.

The name Reddies is for not only athletes, but for the entire student body. No other color could better portray the honor, courage, and loyalty that represent Henderson State University. Hendersonians proudly wear the Red and are fittingly known as Reddies.

IN SEARCH OF 500TH PROGRAM WIN
Oklahoma is 13 wins shy of reaching its 500 career victory. The 31-year old women's basketball program has 487 wins.

HOME SWEET HOME
The Oklahoma is 4-0 inside the Lloyd Noble Center this season. OU has produced a home court record of 72-14, an 83.7 winning percentage, over the last seven years. The Sooners have only lost three non-conference games during this period (Connecticut 2000 (84-68), SMU 2003 (71-68) and Tennessee 2004 (71-55)).

OU STILL AMONG NATION'S ELITE IN HOME ATTENDANCE
OU currently ranks No. 17 on the unofficial 2004-05 women's basketball home attendance rankings compiled by the University of Wisconsin. The Sooners currently draw 4,722 fans to home games (fourth best in the Big 12 Conference).

JACKSON IS ONE OF A KIND
Senior Dionnah Jackson is the ONLY player in the Big 12 Conference that ranks in 10 of 13 statistical categories. The next closest player is Iowa State's Anne O'Neil who ranks in eight.

OU SHUFFLES LINEUP
Head coach Sherri Coale has put four different lineups on the court this season. Coale has played all available 13 players in three games and 11 players are averaging 10-plus minutes per game.

Only Dionnah Jackson, Leah Rush and Erin Higgins have started all 10 games and average better than 20 minutes per game. Chelsi Welch also plays 20 minutes per game.

RUSH CARRYING INSIDE LOAD
Sophomore Leah Rush is carrying most of the load for the Sooners in the paint. The 6-1 forward has scored in double digits in six of 10 games and has had nine or more rebounds in four of OU's last six games.

The Amarillo, Texas native ranks second to Dionnah Jackson in scoring (12.5 ppg), rebounding (7.0) and blocks (9). Rush leads the team in free throw percentage, hitting 82.5 percent of her shots (33-of-40), of players shooting more than 20 foul shots. Chelsi Welch is a perfect 17-of-17 from the foul line. Overall, Rush is shooting 41.1 percent from the field.

IMPRESSIVE FIGURES
This year's team is an unselfish group as 72 percent of OU's field goals have been assisted. The Sooners always attempt the extra pass or look for the better shot. Oklahoma has made 255 field goals, 183 have been assisted.

In the last four games, OU has also cut down on its turnovers. OU had a season low tying 14 turnovers against Tulsa (D4) and most recently La Tech (D18). Against TCU, OU had 12 at halftime but only committed three turnovers in the final 20 minutes.

Usually the smaller of the two teams on the court, OU has out rebounded eight of its 10 opponents.

MCGHEE LEAVES PROGRAM
Freshman Stephanie McGhee has decided not to return to the women's basketball program. McGhee missed the first six games of the season due to a stress fracture. Upon her return to the court, the Howe, Okla., product played in three of the four games, scoring in each. The 6-0 guard averaged 2.3 points per game.

McGhee was named the Preseason Big 12 and Media Freshman of the Year. She is the state's all-time leading scorer with 3,376 points, a mark that broke the previous record by more than 600 points. McGhee's future plans are unknown.

SOONERS AMONG BIG 12 BEST
Oklahoma's 12 three-point field goals made against Akron tops the Big 12 Conference. OU's 32 and 30 attempted treys against Akron and TCU ranks No. 1 and 2, respectively, in the league.

Leah Rush and Dionnah Jackson ranks among the Big 12 best for individual game performances. Rush hit 8-of-8 free throws vs. Southwest Missouri on Dec. 11, tying her for second in free throw percentage. Jackson's nine steals against Iowa is a single game best in the Big 12 and her 15 rebounds at TCU ties for second best.

Dionnah Jackson is one of three players in the Big 12 Conference that has had five or more double doubles this season. Texas Tech's Cisti Greenwalt has a league best six DD, while Jackson and Baylor's Sophia Young has produced five each.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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