OU Faces K-State Sunday on ESPN2

NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma (12-9, 4-6 Big 12) looks to snap a two-game losing streak as the Sooners host No. 16 Kansas State (17-4, 7-2 Big 12) on Sunday at 2 p.m. inside the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman. OU is coming off a tough 73-72 heart breaking loss to No. 8 Baylor Wednesday. Kansas State has not played a game since defeating Oklahoma State, 66-55, on Feb. 5.

Sunday's game with the Wildcats will be televised nationally on ESPN2 with Dave Revsine (play-by-play) and Brenda VanLengen (color) calling the action. ESPN2 will also carry the Texas and Texas Tech Big 12 showdown in Austin immediately following the OU and K-State. OU has six conference games remaining, all six of those games will be televised either locally, regionally or nationally.

OU fans can also tune to KOKC-AM (1520) and SoonerSports.com to listen to Brian Brinkley (play-by-play) and Tara DeGiusti (color analyst) call the action.

Live Statistics

The OU-KSU matchup features two All-American candidates in OU's Dionnah Jackson and Kendra Wecker of Kansas State. Jackson tops the Sooners in 12 categories, while Wecker is the Wildcats best in six. In league games, Wecker ranks fourth in scoring with 19.0 ppg, while Jackson is coming off a career-high 30-point performance against Baylor Wednesday. She counts for 15.3 ppg and 9.4 rebounds per game, ranking third to Wecker's 9.9 rpg for second best. Baylor's Sophia Young leads Big 12 games with 10.2 rpg.

Without questions these are two of the best players and teams in the league. Each can be deadly from the arc, both are aggressive rebounders and each takes care of the basketball. K-State ranks second in league games in 3s made per game, followed by OU. The two teams also rank second (OU) and third (KSU) in 3-point field goal percentage defense, while KSU sports a 1.14 assist/turnover ratio, for second best, to OU's 1.12, third best.

No. 16 KANSAS STATE (17-4, 8-2 Big 12)
At
OKLAHOMA (12-9, 4-6 Big 12)

Date: Sunday, Feb. 13, 2005
Location: Norman, Okla.
Arena: Lloyd Noble Center (12,000)
Tip: 2:10 p.m.
TV: ESPN2
Radio: Sooner Sports Networks - KOKC (1520 AM)
Series: K-State leads the all-time series 23-21.
Rankings: (AP/USA Today & ESPN) K-State is ranked No. 16 in the AP poll and Coaches' poll.
Tickets: Reserved seats are $10 while general admission seats are $8 for adults and $5 for youth. Tickets can be purchased online or by calling (800) 456-GoOU.
Promotions: In celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day, the first 4,000 fans will receive a commemorative poster. Following the game, OU female student-athletes will be available for an autograph session. Also, one lucky lady will win a pair of diamond earrings at halftime courtesy of Lewis Jewelers. The game is being presented by Love's Travel Stops and Family Stores.
Up Next: OU travels to Colorado for an 8 p.m. game on Wed., Feb. 16.

Game Notes (PDF)

PROBABLE STARTERS
OKLAHOMA
24 F Leah Rush (6-1, So., Amarillo, Texas, 14.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg)
34 G Erin Higgins (5-9, So., Oklahoma City, Okla., 8.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg)
35 G Dionnah Jackson (5-9, Sr., St. Louis, Mo., 14.9 ppg, 8.6 rpg)
12 G Lauren Shoush (5-11, Sr., Oklahoma City, Okla., 5.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg)
11 G Laura Andrews (6-0, Jr., Washington, Okla., 4.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg)

KANSAS STATE
30 F Shana Wheeler (6-2, Fr., Lee's Summit, Mo., 5.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg)
34 F Megan Mahoney (6-0, Sr., Sturgis, S.D., 9.9 ppg, 6.9 rpg)
53 F Kendra Wecker (5-11, Sr., Marysville, Kan., 20.2 ppg, 9.6 rpg)
10 G Laurie Koehn (5-8, Sr., Hesston, Kan., 12.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg)
14 G Claire Coggins (5-11, So., Lee's Summit, Mo., 10.1 ppg, 3.0 rpg)

OKLAHOMA (12-9, 4-6 BIG 12)
Oklahoma enters Sunday's game against Kansas State with a 12-9 record and a 4-6 mark in Big 12 action. OU lost to No. 8 Baylor, 73-72, on a Sophia Young jumper in the final seconds Wednesday. Dionnah Jackson put the Sooners up, 72-71, after connecting on a driving layup with 11.5 to play. OU played its best 40 minutes of basketball of the season against the Lady Bears.

Four of OU's final six games will come against teams ranked among the top 20 in the nation (BU, K-State, Texas Tech, Texas).

Five of OU's six Big 12 losses have been to ranked teams and three of the Sooners' other four losses have come to teams who were ranked in the top 25 at some point during the season, including setbacks to Iowa and TCU. Oklahoma's only losses to unranked foes have been to Tulsa (Dec. 4) and Nebraska (Feb. 6).

The Sooners have been led this season by senior guard Dionnah Jackson, who ranks first on the team in scoring with 14.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.

Sophomore Leah Rush is a close second to Jackson in scoring with 14.6 points per game, as well as rebounding with 6.5 rpg. Erin Higgins, a 5-9 sophomore guard, has joined Rush and Jackson in the starting lineup for all 21 games this season, adding 8.6 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. Higgins has been OU's top shooter from long range, hitting 45 of 124 three-pointers (36.3 percent).

As a team, Oklahoma has averaged 69.3 points per game, while surrendering 60.9 ppg. The Sooners are shooting 41.6 percent from the field, and out rebounding their opponents by a slim +4.4 boards per game.

KANSAS STATE (17-4, 8-2 BIG 12)
After seven days off from games, Kansas State returns to Big 12 action. The last opponent the Wildcats faced were the Cowgirls of Oklahoma State. K-State picked up a 10-point win, 66-55, in Stillwater on Feb. 5. In that win, Kendra Wecker had her 10 double-double of the season with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Laurie Koehn led KSU with 13 points with the assistance of three 3s. Brie Madden came off the bench to add 10. K-State outrebounded OSU by five, 38-33, and shot 40.0 percent from the field to OSU's 39.7.

Kansas State is currently in a four-way tie for first-place in the Big 12 Conference with Baylor, Iowa State and Texas Tech each sports an 8-2 mark.

The Wildcats are a guard dominate team that has five seniors, three in the starting lineup.

Wecker, who leads the Big 12 Conference in scoring, averages 20.2 ppg and 9.6 rpg, second best in the league. Teammate Laurie Koehn also tops the league with 2.86 three-pointers per outing. She's made 60 on the season, nine more than any other Big 12 players.

As a team, Kansas State scores 72.1 ppg, while holding its opponents to just 54.4 ppg, second best in the Big 12. KSU also ranks second to Texas Tech in rebounding margin with a +7.6.

Two Oklahomans are on the Kansas State's roster: Twiggy McIntyre (Sapulpa, Okla.) and Naytanda Smith (Enid, Okla.). McIntyre, a sophomore, has played in 20 of 21 games and averages 4.3 ppg. Smith, also a sophomore, has only played in nine games.

SERIES HISTORY
The history between Oklahoma and Kansas State dates back to 1976 with K-State holding a slim 23-21 all-time series advantage.

The Wildcats have won two of the last three games but OU eliminated the then eighth-ranked Kansas State, 78-66, in the semi-finals of the Big 12 Tournament last season. In that game, each team hit 10 three pointers but OU shot 47.3 percent from the field to KSU's 37.3. OU also went 16-for-18 from the free throw line to KSU's 6-of-7 performance.

Sooner coach Sherri Coale is 7-4 against Deb Patterson and Kansas State.

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 168-104 career record and coached in the national championship game in 2001-02, falling to undefeated Connecticut, 82-70. Since her arrival in 1996, more than 1 million fans have watched an OU women's basketball game. 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.

Kansas State is coach by Deb Patterson (Rockford College, 1979). Patterson has guided the Wildcats to an overall record of 168-99 and a tie for the 2004 Big 12 Conference regular season title with Texas. Patterson is in her ninth season has K-State's head coach and has built the women's basketball program into one of the tops in the country.

OU VS RANKED TEAMS
Oklahoma is 1-6 vs top 25 teams this season. Under Sherri Coale, the Sooners are 33-50 vs. top 25 programs; 8-29 vs. top 10; and 3-13 vs. top 5 teams. Kansas State marks the eighth time OU will face a ranked opponent this season.

BIG 12 NORTH FOES
Oklahoma has played three Big 12 North teams this season, going 1-2.

OU's Big 12 North Foes
Iowa State L, 73-60
Kansas W, 65-49
Nebraska L, 70-51

SOONERS SHUFFLE
Head coach Sherri Coale will put her seventh different lineup on the court Wednesday. Coale has played all available 13 players in several games this season and nine players are averaging better than 10 minutes per game.

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

SOONER NOTABLES VS. KANSAS STATE
Chelsi Welch has only faced K-State once. In that meeting she had 12 points and four rebounds.

Laura Andrews played eight minutes against KSU at last year's Big 12 Tournament. She hit her only field goal of the game, a three-pointer.

Beky Preston averages 5.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game when playing KSU. She had 12 points on 6-of-8 field goals in Manhattan last year.

Lauren Shoush has not had good performances against K-State. She's gone 1-for-11 from the field and 0-for-5 from the arc in her three games.

Leah Rush struggled against Kansas State in Manhattan last year. She was saddled with foul trouble in the first half and only scored four points for the game. In Rush's second encounter with the Wildcats she netted 18 points, hitting 8 of 10 shots including two threes in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament. She averages 11.0 points and 1.5 rebounds against KSU. She's 75 percent from the floor and 66.7 percent from the arc and free throw line.

Antoinette Wadsworth filled in for Leah Rush in Manhattan last year. Wadsworth recorded 11 points, hitting 4 of 5 field goals, and had five rebounds in 19 minutes while Rush battle foul trouble.

Britney Brown started against Kansas State in Manhattan, replacing Maria Villarroel. She played 27 minutes and only had one turnover as a freshman in front of 10,866 Wildcat fans.

Erin Higgins hit 3-of-5 three-pointers for nine points in the semifinals of the 2004 Big 12 Tournament. She also had 13 points on a 4-for-8 performance from the arc in Manhattan. Against KSU, she's connected on 53.8 percent of her treys and 46.7 percent of her field goals. Higgins averages 11.0 ppg and 2.0 rpg vs. the Wildcats.

Dionnah Jackson has faced Kansas State five times with averages of 11.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. She had 15 points, five rebounds and three assists in OU's win in Dallas. Jackson has scored in double digits in four of the five games against K-State.

JACKSON'S CLIMBING OU'S & BIG 12 RECORD CHARTS
Senior Dionnah Jackson continues to move up in numerous OU career categories. The 5-9 point guard broke into OU's all-time scoring and rebounding charts when she had 16 points and 15 rebounds against TCU (D9). Jackson ranks among OU's greats in nine categories.

With a career-high 30 points Wednesday, Jackson moved into OU's all-time top 10 scoring list with 1,366. She also grabbed three defensive boards to surpass Phylesha Whaley on that all-time list with 581. Whaley grabbed 579 in four seasons. Caton Hill holds the record with 745. Six made free throws push Jackson to No. 10 on the all-time free throws made chart with 292.

Possible Chart Moves for Jackson vs. Kansas State
Career:
Needs 2 steals for 3rd (would tie Stacey Dales-Schuman)
Needs 10 made free throws for 9th

Season:
Needs 9 defensive rebounds for 15th
Needs 3 assists to tie for 14th

Jackson is also climbing the Big 12 Conference all-time assists and steals charts. She currently ranks seventh and 10th, respectively.

RPI RANKINGS
In this week's WBCA/Summerville RPI Rankings, Oklahoma drops to No. 37 and the Sooners' strength of schedule slid to 12th best in the country.

WADSWORTH STEPS IN
Junior Antoinette Wadsworth came off the bench Wednesday after sophomore forward Leah Rush was whistled for her fourth personal foul with 12 minutes to play. In reserve action, Wadsworth scored 10 points on 4-of 6-shooting, including consecutive baskets that tied the game at 56 all with 10:50 remaining. She also had three rebounds in 22 minutes.

The 5-11 forward has played in 17 games, starting one, and has scored in double digits twice. Wadsworth is the most athletic player on the team who averages 2.9 rebounds per game.

STRIPE IMPROVEMENTS
After struggling at the free throw line against Texas and Iowa State, OU has turned it around.Since then, OU has connected on 41 of 46 free throws for an 89.1 accuracy. Six players are perfect from the stripe over the past three games: Dionnah Jackson (14); Leah Rush (10), Erin Higgins (4), Laura Andrews (2), Britney Brown (2) and Kelly Lam (2).

The Sooners only connected on 56.3 percent of their foul shot, hitting 18-for-32, against UT and ISU.

The Sooners shot back-to-back season-high percentages at Kansas and at Nebraska. OU nailed 14 of 15 free throws at KU, for a 93.3 accuracy, followed by a perfect seven for seven showing at Nebraska. Against Baylor, OU went 20 of 24 from the free throw line (83.3 percent).

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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