OU Womens Basketball Earns NCAA At-Large Bid

NORMAN, Okla. - The Oklahoma women's basketball team will appear in its sixth-straight NCAA Championship as OU was awarded an at-large bids during Sunday's NCAA Selection show on ESPN.

OU head coach Sherri Coale will take her No. 8 seed Sooners to Knoxville, Tenn., to face No. 9 seed Arizona (19-11) on Sunday, March 20, inside Thompson-Boling Arena hosted by the University of Tennessee. With a win Sunday, Oklahoma would advance to face the winner of No. 16 seed Stetson (17-13) and No. 1 seed LSU (29-2) on Tuesday, March 22.

This year marks the first time the Division I Women's Basketball Championship will have the eight teams, eight sites format for the first and second rounds. There are eight first and second round sites: Dallas, Texas; Fresno, Calif.; Minnesota, Minn.; Seattle, Wash.; Chapel Hill, N.C.; College Park, Md., Storrs, Conn. and Knoxville, Tenn. Two teams from each site will advance on to the Regionals which will be taking place in Chattanooga, Tenn.; Tempe, Ariz.; Philadelphia, Pa. and Kansas City, Mo.

Basketball fans can purchase reserved and general admission tickets for the 2005 Knoxville First and Second Rounds games for just $35 and $30 each, respectively. There are three sessions containing two games each. Times have not been announced.

The Sooners sport an overall NCAA record of 12-7 and have gone 6-3 over the last three years. Under Coach Coale, OU is 10-5 in NCAA Tournament games. Oklahoma finished the Big 12 Conference race tied for sixth place with an 8-8 record and achieved an overall mark of 17-12. OU defeated Texas A&M, 86-65, in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament, followed by losing a tight 65-59 game to No. 10/11 Texas in the quarterfinals.

Oklahoma played at Thompson-Boling Arena on Nov. 10, 2002 when OU lost to host Tennessee (94-68). In that game, the Sooners established an arena record of 31 made and 45 attempted free throws against the Lady Vols.

Arizona sports an overall record of 19-11 and went 1-1 in the Pac-10 Tournament. The Wildcats defeated Oregon State, 90-59, in the opening round followed by a loss to Washington, 71-82, in the quarterfinals. UA is led by senior guard Dee-Dee Wheller's 17.8 points per game, followed by 6-5 junior center Shawntinice Polk's 12.9 ppg.

Ticket Packages Price
General Admission $30
Reserved $35
Phone: 865/656-1200 or 800/332-VOLS
Web site: www.utladyvols.com

Knoxville First and Second Round Dates
Sunday, March 20
Game 1: No. 9 Arizona (19-11) vs. No. 8 Oklahoma (17-12)
12 p.m. EST ... ESPN2

Game 2: No. 16 Stetson (17-13) vs. No. 1 LSU (29-2)
30 following Game 1 ... ESPN/ESPNU

Game 3: No. 8 New Mexico (26-4) vs. No. 9 Purdue (16-12)
7 p.m. EST ... ESPN2

Game 4: No. 1 Tennessee (26-4) vs. No. 16 Western Carolina (18-13)
30 mins. following Game 3 ... ESPN2

Tuesday, March 22
Game 1: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner ... 7 p.m. ... ESPN2

Game 2: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner ... 30 mins. following game 1 ... ESPN2

University of Oklahoma NCAA Quotes

Head Coach Sherri Coale
On getting in the NCAA Tournament:
“It's nice when you're on the bubble and can pop up in the first bracket. It was really the second breath of anything that was mentioned. I'm not sure if any of us heard what happened after that. We went so crazy. It took me a minute to even figure out who we were playing and what days we were playing. We are just so glad to be alive.

“It's been a tough road. There's no question about it. We have had stretches to where we have played really, really well, and, stretches of where we have played well and just haven't had fate on our side. We have also not played well in stretches. The kids have stayed together and fought really hard in the Big 12 Tournament.

“We have played some unbelievable competition, particularly in the Big 12 South. What we are being rewarded for as much as anything is competing in this league and playing the quality of schedule that we played.

“I don't know if it's any sweater but I know there were a lot more emotions expressed when our name was called. It came about so quickly. We really didn't have a chance to get to nervous but we're really, really excited to see this season given new life.”

On Arizona:
“I don't know a lot about them. I've pulled their roster off the internet. They are typically post dominating team, and I think they have a 6-5 kid. They are always big and athletic.

“They've played a pretty tough schedule and the teams they have lost to are good teams. Everybody is pretty good when you get to this point. We are not in any position to be to picky about who we are playing. The goal is to just get in and see what you can do.”

On being a No. 8 seed:
“I was a little bit surprised at an eighth seed but when you step back and look at the strength of our league you will not see a Big 12 team come in as a No. 12, 13 or 14 seed. It's a statement about the quality of people we compete against on a regular basic. It's also a reflection of our program and track record in the NCAA Tournament.”

On Seniors Dionnah Jackson and Lauren Shoush:
“I think this team really took it upon themselves to find away to get Dionnah and Shoush into the NCAA Tournament for their fourth-consecutive year. This is a group of kids that don't know any different than playing in the Big Dance. I think everyone would have felt personally responsible and a little bit scared if we had not been able to give those guys an opportunity to survive and advance. “

About playing in Tennessee:
“We opened our season in Knoxville a couple of years ago (2002-03). It's a hot bed for women's basketball which means there will be a lot of people not only attending the games but interested in the tournament. That area is Basketball Mecca. We need to go in there an win them over to make sure they are on our side.”

On the Big 12 teams:
It's a statement about respect about our conference and specifically the Big 12 South. To have six teams in and to have the high seeds we have across the board shows a lot of people out there think a lot of our league.

On OU women's basketball:
“It's a really big deal. It's a lot harder to get in this tournament than what some people think. When a team plays in the tournament for a few years than everyone starts expecting it from them. That's why you build this monster, so you have an opportunity to be there. We made it a commitment a long time ago. Once we get there, we're going to make sure we stay there. This one was a little bit close. We had to hold our breath for a little bit but this is a huge thing.

On Baylor being a No. 2”
“I sure thought they deserved a No. 1 seed. They won both the Big 12 regular season and tournament titles. What else are you suppose to do? I understand that there are a lot of quality teams across the country. Maybe the way some games played out in the finals of some tournaments had an impact on that. Baylor is a good basketball team and they are going to win some games regardless.”

Oklahoma Senior Guard Dionnah Jackson
On getting in the tournament:
“We are extremely happy and excited. We are thrilled to be in this tournament and to still be playing basketball. It's not a lot of fun having others control your destiny.

“Everyone was shocked that we came up so fast. We were expecting to be here for awhile. We thought we were going to be the last team called. We would have to sweat it out but everybody just paused for a second then the whole room roared and erupted when they said Oklahoma. That was my best moment of the entire year.”

Oklahoma Sophomore Guard Erin Higgins
On getting in the tournament:
“This team really never questioned if we deserved to be in the tournament. We knew we did. There were some people that questioned us but we stuck to our guns. We know we deserved to be in there (NCAA Tournament) playing just as much as everyone else. We just didn't know where we would end up. We were really surprised and excited about getting an eighth seed.

”The location is great. It's closer to home than other sites and within driving distance for our family and fans. My parents already have their hotel booked.”

University of Oklahoma Athletics

OU Womens Basketball Earns NCAA At-Large Bid

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