OU Plays at No. 13 Texas Saturday

NORMAN, Okla. -- Part II of the Red River Rivalry takes place Saturday as Oklahoma (15-10, 7-7 Big 12) travels to 13th-ranked Texas (11-3, 18-7 Big 12) to wrap up its two-game series with the Longhorns. The two teams will meet for the 26th time in the programs' history at 7 p.m. inside the Frank Erwin Center in Austin.

The Big 12 showdown will be at televised on FSN Southwest with Kevin Eschenfelder (play-by-play) and Brenda VanLegen (color analyst) calling the action.

OU fans can watch the action on Cox Cable Channel 37 in the Oklahoma City market or tune to the Sooner Sports Networks (KOKC-AM (1520) and listen to Brian Brinkley (play-by-play) and Tara DeGiusti (color analyst) call the game.

Live Audio | Live Stats from Texas | Game Notes (PDF)

With two games left, the Longhorns are currently tied for second-place in the Big 12 standings with Texas Tech at 11-3. Baylor leads the league at 12-2, while OU is seventh at 7-7. Texas wraps up its regular season at College Station against Texas A&M, while OU travels to Stillwater to face Oklahoma State.

Texas is coming off of an 83-40 thumping of Colorado in Austin, while OU fell to Texas Tech, 83-70, Wednesday night in Norman. UT enters the game ranked among the Big 12 best in 11 categories including second in scoring defense, blocked shots and steals. OU is among best in six areas. The Sooners lead the Big 12 in three-point field goal percentage and third in threes made per game.

In this week's NCAA rankings, Sooner senior guard Dionnah Jackson ranks 18th in assists, while sophomores Leah Rush and Erin Higgins rank among the elite in free throw percentage and threes made per game, respectively.

Oklahoma (15-10, 7-7 Big 12) at No. 13 Texas (18-7, 11-3 Big 12)

Date: Saturday, Feb. 26, 2005
Location: Austin, Texas
Arena: Frank Erwin Center (16,755)
Tip: 7 p.m.
TV: FSN Southwest
    (Cox Cable Channel 37 in OKC)
Radio: Sooner Sports Networks
    KOKC (1520 AM)
Series: Texas leads the all-time series,
    17-8.
Up Next: Oklahoma travels to Stillwater on Thursday, March 3 for a 7 p.m. game against Oklahoma State.

PROBABLE STARTERS
OKLAHOMA
24 F Leah Rush (6-1, So., Amarillo, Texas, 14.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg)
35 G Dionnah Jackson (5-9, Sr., St. Louis, Mo., 14.9 ppg, 8.1 rpg)
34 G Erin Higgins (5-9, So., Oklahoma City, Okla., 9.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg)
11 G Laura Andrews (6-0, Jr., Washington, Okla., 5.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg)
12 G Lauren Shoush (5-11, Sr., Oklahoma City, Okla., 5.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg)

TEXAS
04 F Kala Bowers (6-2, Sr., Woodward, Okla., 5.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg)
21 F Heather Schrieber (6-2, Sr., Windthorst, Texas, 10.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg)
33 C Tiffany Jackson (6-3, So., Dallas, Texas, 17.5 ppg, 8.6 rpg)
11 G Jamie Carey (5-6, Sr., Thornton, Colo., 12.3 ppg, 1.8 rpg)
22 G Nina Norman (5-6, Jr., Houston, Texas, 7.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg)

OKLAHOMA (15-10, 7-7 BIG 12)
The Sooners had a minor set back Wednesday as OU lost to No. 14 Texas Tech, 83-70, in Norman. The Lady Raiders shot an OU opponent season best in points (83), field goal percentage (56.3) and three-point field goal percentage (57.1). Tech also hit 25 of 29 attempted free throws ()86.2 percent).

Prior to Wednesday's game, OU had been playing extremely well.OU has won three of its last four games including a victory over then-No. 16 Kansas State (77-61) on Feb. 13.

OU enters Saturday's game sitting in seventh-place in the Big 12 Conference standings (7-7), one game behind Nebraska. The Sooners have two games remaining, both on the road. Of OU's final two games one will come against a top 15 team, No. 13 Texas.

Six of OU's seven 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 all season by either senior Dionnah Jackson or sophomore Leah Rush in scoring. For this game, Jackson holds top honors with 14.9 points per game. She also leads the team in rebounds (8.1), assists (6.0) and steals (2.2) per game. Rush ranks second on the team with 14.7 ppg and 6.2 rpg.

Jackson is a finalist for the John R. Wooden National and Naismith Player of the Year Awards as well as one of 10 finalists for the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year honor.

Rush also shoots a solid 85.1 percent from the free throw line, second best in the Big 12, and 45.5 percent from the field.

Erin Higgins, a 5-9 sophomore guard, has joined Rush and Jackson in the starting lineup for all 25 games this season, adding 9.0 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. Higgins has been OU's top shooter from long range, hitting 57 of 151 three-pointers (37.7 percent); including 14 of 31 over the past four games (45.2 percent).

As a team, Oklahoma has averaged 70.1 points per game, while surrendering 61.7 ppg. The Sooners are shooting 42.6 percent from the field, and out rebounding their opponents by a slim +3.4 boards per game.

NO. 13 TEXAS (18-7, 11-3 BIG 12)
Texas is on a four-game winning streak and has only lost three Big 12 Conference games. The Longhorns are currently tied with Texas Tech for second place in the league standings (11-3). UT has one road game remaining, at Texas A&M, following Saturday's game.

The Longhorns are loaded with experienced seniors. However, UT is lead by sophomore Tiffany Jackson who averages team bests in points (17.5 ppg), rebounds (8.6 rpg) and blocks (2.0 bpg). She has started in 24 of the team's 25 games and hits 56.6 percent of her shots. In Big 12 play, she accounts for 19.2 ppg and 8.9 rpg, third and fourth best in the league.

Jackson is among the nation's best players as she is among the NCAA's top 20 in points, blocks, field goal percentage and blocks.

Also averaging double digits in scoring is seniors Jamie Carey (12.3 ppg) and Heather Schreiber (10.4 ppg). Schreiber follows Jackson with 5.4 rpg. Carey ranks fifth in the NCAA in three-point field goal percentage and 44th in threes per game.

As a team, Texas ranks third in Big 12 games in scoring (70.9) and fourth in rebounding margin (+4.6). UT leads the league in steals (11.07) and scoring margin (+14.6). They are shooting 45.0 percent from the field and only allowing opponents to shoot 39.0 percent.

When playing inside the Frank Erwin Center, UT is 12-1 on the season and 7-0 in Big 12 play. Saturday will be UT's six seniors final home game.

SERIES HISTORY
Saturday will be the 26th meeting between Oklahoma and Texas. Texas leads the all-time series 17-8 and winners of six of the last seven games. In game one of the two-game series, Texas walked out of the Lloyd Noble Center with an 83-71 overtime victory on Jan. 26.

OU captured the 2004 Big 12 Tournament title in Dallas by defeating the Longhorns 66-47 (+19).

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 171-105 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.

Texas is coach by Jody Conradt (Baylor, 1963). Coach Conradt is in her 36th year overall as a head coach and her 29th season as the Longhorns' head coach. She is 865-276 for her career and is 748-214 at Texas. Conradt ranks No 2 in all-time women's basketball victories.

IN SEARCH OF 500TH PROGRAM WIN
Oklahoma is FIVE wins shy of reaching its 500 career victory. The 31-year old women's basketball program has 495 wins.

WHAT HAVE U DONE 4 ME LATELY?
The Sooners have been playing better transition basketball and more aggressive defense. OU has averaged 74.2 points and 31.8 rebounds per game over four games. Oklahoma has also regained its shooting touch, hitting 7.2 three-pointers per game, and hitting 48.0 percent from the field and 47.1 percent from the three-point line.

Also during this time frame, the Sooners have four players averaging double digits scoring led by sophomore forward Leah Rush's 15.5 points per game. Senior Dionnah Jackson and Erin Higgins contributes 14.8 and 10.8 ppg, respectively. Junior Laura Andrews has added 10.3 ppg and Lauren Shoush 9.0 ppg. Jackson has also led the team in rebounding (5.5) and assists (5.5) per game.

Head coach Sherri Coale said earlier in the season in order for OU to be successful, the Sooners would have to have a third and fourth contributing offensively.

OU VS RANKED TEAMS
Oklahoma is 2-7 vs. top 25 teams this season. Under Sherri Coale, the Sooners are 34-51 vs. top 25 programs; 8-29 vs. top 10; and 3-13 vs. top 5 teams.

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 a career-best 15 rebounds against TCU (D9). Jackson ranks among OU's greats in nine categories.

With a career-high 30 points against Baylor in Norman, Jackson moved into OU's all-time top 10 scoring list. She also ranks No. 2 on OU's all-time defensive rebounds list, surpassing Phylesha Whaley. Caton Hill holds the record with 745.

Possible Chart Moves for Jackson vs. Texas
Career:
Needs 2 made free throws for 7th
Needs 11 rebounds for 6th
Needs 21 assists for 2nd
Needs 26 points for 9th

Season:
Needs 4 defensive rebounds for 12th
Needs 2 assists for 9th
Needs 1 block for 13th

SHOUSH AS A STARTER
Senior Lauren Shoush has started seven games for the Sooners this season. In those seven outings, she's averaged 7.0 points, 3.7 assists, 2.0 steals and 4.3 rebounds per game. She's also hit 43.6 percent of her shots from the field and has made countless “effort” plays to spark Sooner runs. With Shoush in the starting linuep, OU is 4-3 this season.

RPI RANKINGS
In this week's WBCA/Summerville RPI Rankings, Oklahoma moved to No. 36 in the RPI Rankings and the Sooners' strength of schedule dropped to 16th best in the country.

SHARP SHOOTERS
Ten of OU's 13 players have stepped up to connect on a three-pointer this season. Junior Laura Andrews and sophomore Erin Higgins accounts for 52.0 percent of OU's treys, while the five starters are responsible for 120 of the team's 157 (76.4%) threes.

Andrews had been struggling from three-point range until the last couple of games (4). The 6-0 guard has connected on 7-of-14 attempted three-pointers (50.0%), shot 51.6 percent from the field (16-of-31) and averaged 10.3 points per game. Prior to this, Andrews was averaging 4.6 ppg, shooting 25.4 percent from the arc and 34.0 percent from the field.

Higgins was only able to connect on 11 of 49 three-pointers, 22.4 percent, for the first eight games. But, since having a breakout game on FSN against Louisiana Tech (D18), Higgins' hit 45.1 percent of her three-pointers, 46-for-102.

With 57 made 3s, Higgins now ranks sixth on OU's single season chart. Higgins also hit 59 treys as a freshmen to rank fifth best on the list.

JACKSON AMONG BIG 12 ALL-TIME BEST
Senior Dionnah Jackson now ranks fifth on the Big 12 Conference all-time assists list. Jackson dished out nine assists against Kansas State to surpass Nebraska's Nicole Kubik (1997-00). Kubik had 563.

Jackson has dished out 580 assists and is 184 shy of the Big 12's and OU's all-time leader Stacey Dales-Schuman.

WADSWORTH STEPS IN
Junior Antoinette Wadsworth has come off the bench in the Sooners last four games to provide valuable back-up minutes for sophomore Leah Rush.

Wadsworth averaged 6.4 points and 3.4 rebounds and hit 14 of her 23 attempted field goals (60.9 percent).

She had 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting, including consecutive baskets that tied the game at 56-all against Baylor. She also had three rebounds in 22 minutes of play. Against Kansas State, she scored on back-to-back possessions and finished with five points and two rebounds in nine minutes. Wadsworth was a perfect 3-for-3 at Colorado while grabbing seven rebounds in 16 minutes.

The 5-11 forward has played in 21 games, starting one, and has scored in double digits twice. Wadsworth is the most athletic player on the team who averages 3.0 rebounds and 3.2 points per game.

ASSISTING OTHERS
Oklahoma is second to Baylor for most assists per game in Big 12 play. OU dishes out 16.43 to BU's 17.29 apg. The Sooners are ranked 13th in the nation in this category. Texas ranks ninth in the league in assists per game with 12.43.

Overall, OU dishes out 17.36 assists per game. The Sooners have dished out more assists than turnovers in 20 of 25 outings. OU has also had 10 or more assists in all but one game this season.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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