Bedlam Set Between OU-OSU Women Saturday In Stillwater

MEDIA INFORMATION

No. 23 Oklahoma Sooners
(18-7, 8-6 Big 12)
at
Oklahoma State
(8-17, 3-11 Big 12)

Date & Time: Sat., Feb. 28 @ 12 p.m.
Site: Gallagher-Iba Arena (13,611) - Stillwater
Series Record: OU leads 38-34
Radio: Sooner Sports Network - state wide - KOMA-AM (1520); Brian Brinkley (play-by-play) & Tara Robinett (analyst).
TV: Fox Sports Net; Kevin Eschenfelder (play-by-play) & Brenda VanLengen (analyst)
Tickets: To purchase call 877-255-4678. Ticket prices range from $8 to $6.
Rankings: OU is ranked 23rd in the AP and USA Today/ESPN Coaches polls. OSU is not ranked.
Web Sites: Oklahoma (www.SoonerSports.com), Oklahoma State (www.okstate.com)

PROBABLE STARTERS
OKLAHOMA (18-7, 8-6)                                                   PPG      RPG
10 F   Caton Hill (6-1, Sr., Ada, Okla.)                             12.2       6.0
24   F   Leah Rush (6-1, Fr., Amarillo, Texas)                    8.2         4.8
34   G   Erin Higgins (5-9, Fr., Oklahoma City)                    7.0         2.4
35   G Dionnah Jackson (5-9, Jr., St. Louis, Mo.)             11.8       5.9
05   G   Maria Villarroel (5-9, Sr., Margarita, Venezuela)   14.3      5.6

OKLAHOMA STATE (8-17, 3-11)                                   PPG       RPG
05   F   Destanie Sykes (Duncanville, Texas)                  2.8          2.7
50   F   Eliz Gomes (Sao Paulo, Brazil)                            7.6          4.6
55 C   Trisha Skibbe (Oxford, Kan.)                              19.4        7.9
00 G   Nina Stone (Indianapolis, Ind.)                            11.2        3.8
33 G   Deidra Johnson (Waldo, Ark.)                             2.0          1.9

SATURDAY PREVIEW
The Bedlam Series presented by the Bank of Oklahoma and Your Oklahoma Ford Dealers between 23rd-ranked Oklahoma (18-7, 8-6 Big 12) and Oklahoma State (8-17, 3-11 Big 12) women's basketball teams will conclude its regular season two-game series on Saturday, Feb. 28, at 12 p.m. inside the Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater.

See how the Sooners stack up against OSU in the Bedlam Series presented by the Bank of Oklahoma and Your Oklahoma Ford Dealers!

Saturday's game will be broadcast by Fox Sports Network with Kevin Eschenfelder (play-by-play) and Brenda VanLengen (analyst) calling the action. The Bedlam matchup can also be heard state wide on the Sooner Sports Radio Networks including KOMA-AM (1520).

Both programs are down to its last two regular season games. After Saturday, OU will host No. 5 Texas, while OSU will host No. 16 Baylor next week.

OSU sports an overall record of 8-17 and a Big 12 mark of 3-11, which is 10th best in the league. The Cowgirls have had a full week to prepare for the Sooners as OSU was idle Wednesday.

Oklahoma, who's tied for fifth place in the Big 12 standings, has won five of its last six games, while OSU has dropped seven straight. OSU is 2-7 when playing top 25 programs and 1-4 versus top 10 teams this season. Both top 25 wins have come inside Gallagher-Iba Arena. OU improved its record to 4-6 vs. top 25 and 2-2 against top 10 teams after picking up a 64-53 win over No. 8 Texas Tech Wednesday.

OU-OSU SERIES
Oklahoma holds an all-time series advantage of 38-34 against Oklahoma State. OU coach Sherri Coale is 12-5 vs. OSU and has won 10 straight against the Cowgirls and 12 of the last 13 games.

OKLAHOMA (18-7, 8-6 BIG 12)
Oklahoma sports an overall record of 18-7 and a Big 12 Conference mark of 8-6. The Sooners are lead by junior sensation Dionnah Jackson. Jackson ranks among the league's best in seven different categories when facing Big 12 teams. She's the team leader in rebounds (6.2), assists (5.4), steals (2.4) and defensive rebounds (5.1) per game vs. conference opponents. In overall games, Jackson averages 11.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.5 steals per game.

Leading the Sooners in overall scoring are seniors Maria Villarroel (14.3 ppg) and Caton Hill (12.2 ppg). Villarroel also owns a team best field goal percentage of 57.0 percent (of players making more than 15 shots). Hill's 6.0 rebounds per game leads the team.

Redshirt-freshman Erin Higgins has been more consistent as a scoring threat for opponents as she's averaging 2.4 three-pointers against Big 12 teams.

As a team, Oklahoma is averaging 73.3 points and 41.3 rebounds per game, compared to its opponents 60.2 ppg and 35.1 rpg.

OKLAHOMA STATE (8-17, 3-11 BIG 12)
Oklahoma State is lead by senior Trisha Skibbe who tops the Big 12 in scoring with 19.4 points per game and is tied for fifth in rebounds with 7.9 per game. However, Skibbe's numbers drop to 15.6 ppg and 6.9 rpg against conference teams. The 6-2 center has produced eight double-doubles this season, three in league play.

OSU two top-25 wins came against then-24th ranked Michigan State, 62-60, and a stunning 88-87 double overtime victory over then-No. 3 Texas Tech. Two weeks earlier the Lady Raiders had embarrassed the Cowgirls with a 63-point loss (106-43) in Lubbock.

Assisting Skibbe in the scoring column is junior Nina Stone. Stone contributes 11.2 ppg and owns a team-best 83 assists, which ranks 14th best in the league (3.3 apg).

The Cowgirls rank 12th in the Big 12 in scoring (59.2 ppg), scoring defense (70.3 ppg), scoring margin (-11.1 ppg), turnover margin (-4.48) and assist/turnover ratio (0.69).

UP NEXT
Red River Shoot-out Part II will take place on Tuesday, March 2, at 8 p.m. inside the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman. This will be the final regular season game for both teams as No. 23 OU plays host to No. 5 Texas (24-3, 12-2 Big 2) on senior night in a Fox Sports Net telecast. Texas defeated Oklahoma, 63-58, in the second Big 12 game of the season on Jan. 10, in Austin.

The Longhorns will be the fourth ranked team OU has faced in its last five games.

Following the conclusion of the game, head coach Sherri Coale and Sooners will pay tribute to seniors Caton Hill and Maria Villarroel.

BEDLAM SERIES
Oklahoma State currently leads the OU-OSU Bedlam series, 5-4, but if OU wins Saturday the Sooners will tie it at 5-all.

THE RECORD TO WATCH - LOOKING TO BE ELITE
Senior Caton Hill is just now four rebounds shy of becoming the ONLY Sooner in school history to score 1,500 points, collect 1,000 rebounds and pocket 200 steals in her career.

To date, she has netted 1,553 points, 204 steals and 996 rebounds.

SOONER BORN, SOONER BRED
On Monday, Feb. 23, 2004 at 11:22 a.m. Hudson Riley Thrailkill was born at Norman Regional Hospital. He is the son of Chad, OU's Director of Basketball Operations, and April Thrailkill and brother to Shelby (5) and Brayden (2).

Hudson Thrailkill weight 8lbs., 10oz. and was 20 inches long. Hudson and April are doing well.

COALE REACHES ANOTHER MILESTONE
With OU's sweep of nationally-ranked Texas Tech Wednesday, Oklahoma head coach Sherri Coale picked up her 150th career win. Earlier this season, she also established herself as OU's all-time winningest women's basketball coach.

CAUFIELD SET TO RECEIVE 2,000-POINT BALL
Former Sooner great LaNeishea Caufield will be presented her 2,000-point basketball during the women's game against Texas on Tuesday, March 2, in Norman.

Caufield concluded her career as one of only three Sooners to have ever scored 2,000 points. The Ada, Okla., native registered 2,125 in four years.

The three-time All-Big 12 second teamer was named a Kodak District V All-American in 2002 and voted to the 2002 NCAA West Regional All-Tournament team.

The two-time Women's Basketball News Service Defensive Player of the Year (2001, 2002) holds the school records for most career steals (402), free throws made (693), attempted (826) and percentage (83.9%) plus minutes played (4,287).

She concluded her career as a Sooner by being the 14th overall WNBA draft pick by the Utah Starzz in 2002.

SOONERS & COWGIRLS AMONG NCAA ELITE
Both teams have individuals that rank in the latest NCAA Ranking Summary. Oklahoma State's Trisha Skibbe ranks 27th in the nation in scoring with 19.4 points per game. OU's Maria Villarroel sits at No. 14 for best field goal percentage of 58.1 and junior Dionnah Jackson ranks 38th in assists per game (5.4).

Team wise, Oklahoma ranks 26th in scoring with 73.7 ppg and 20th in scoring margin (+13.2). OSU appears 23rd for most blocked shots, averaging 4.8.

Statistics reflect time of NCAA release (Feb. 23, 2004).

IT'S RAINING THREES
Redshirt-freshman Erin Higgins remains No. 2 on the Big 12 Conference list for 3-point field goals made per game with 2.43 vs. league opponents.

The Oklahoma City native nailed a career-best six 3s against Kansas (Feb. 14) and Baylor (Jan. 24). Higgins also attempted a career-high and school record 14 treys vs. KU, which also ties for first in the Big 12.

For the season, she's contributing 7.0 points and 2.4 rebounds per game plus of her 53 field goals made, 47 have been threes.

THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED....
Maria Villarroel currently ranks No. 7 on OU's single season field goal percentage chart, shooting 57.0 percent.
Erin Higgins now ranks 11th on OU's single season chart for most made treys with 47. She also ranks 10th for most attempted 3s with 130.
Caton Hill now ranks second on the single season list with an solid 85.1 free throw percentage. She has hit her last 15 free throws. Leah Rush also rank among the single season best for her performance at the stripe. Rush ranks eighth with a 82.4 free throw accuracy.
Dionnah Jackson is five steals shy of breaking into the top 15 on the single season list. She has 63.

TERRIFIC TWOSOME COMES ALIVE
Over the past six games, Villarroel has averaged 18.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.2 steals and 1.5 block shot per game, while shooting .574 percent from the field and an impressive .816 from the stripe. Hill has averaged 12.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. She has also connected on 42.4 percent of the field (25-for-59) and hit all 15 foul shots.

The terrific twosome continues to lead the Sooners in overall scoring with 14.3 (Villarroel) and 12.2 (Hill) points per game. Villarroel also tops the team with a 57.0 field goal percentage, while Hill leads the team in rebounding (6.0) and assists (1.7) per game.

SINGLE GAME RECORD CHANGES...
Maria Villarroel currently holds the school record for most points per game of players that have only played two seasons for OU. Villarroel has scored 837 points in 57 games for a per game average of 14.7 ppg. The previous record of 13.0 ppg held by Vickie Green (1985, 1986).
Erin Higgins tied the school record for most attempted three-pointers in a single game when she launched 14 against Kansas. Higgins matched two other Sooners.

SOONERS STRONG WHEN"
Oklahoma has hit 50 percent or better from the field in seven games, producing a perfect 8-0 record. The Sooners are also undefeated, 16-0, when collecting more rebounds than their opponents.

JACKSON SOLID ACROSS THE BOARD
Junior Dionnah Jackson may not be flashy in how she scores, rebounds or passes the basketball but her production across the board deserves a standing ovation. The St. Louis, Mo., native has one of the most impressive stat line in the Big 12 Conference.

Jackson averages 11.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.5 steals per game plus shots 42.3 percent from the field and 78.8 percent from the free throw line as a 5-9 point guard.

In Big 12 games, she's dished out 5.4 assists, pocketed 2.6 steals and grabbed 6.2 rebounds per game, while scoring 12.3 points a game. She ranks among the league's best in seven Big 12 only categories (steals [2nd], assists [3rd], assists/turnover ratio [8th], defensive rebounds [9th], free throw percentage [15th], blocks [13th] and scoring [18th]).

Jackson has had more assists than turnovers in 20-of-25 games, including seven assists to zero turnovers in the season opener against ORU, six assists to zero turnovers vs. Nebraska and seven assists to just one turnover against then-No. 2 Tennessee.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Bedlam Set Between OU-OSU Women Saturday In Stillwater

Related News

Related Videos

Sponsors