OU Set To Play A&M in First Round of Big 12 Tournament

NORMAN, Okla. - The Oklahoma women's basketball team (16-11, 8-8 Big 12) enters this year's Big 12 Tournament as the seventh seed and will meet 10th-seeded Texas A&M (14-13, 4-12 Big 12) on opening day action. The game is scheduled for Tuesday, March 8 at 6 p.m. inside the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. It marks the second straight year the Sooners have battled the Aggies in Big 12 Tournament first-round action.

It also marks the third match up between the two teams this season. The Sooners own the advantage after a 73-53 victory in Norman and a 63-51 win in College Station. Sophomore Leah Rush has led OU through the two-game series this season, averaging 21.5 points and shooting 65.4 percent from the field. Senior leader Dionnah Jackson has led the Sooners with 23 rebounds and dished 21 assists. Under head coach Sherri Coale, OU leads the all-time series 14-3 and has a 1-0 advantage in Big 12 Tournament action.

With a win, Oklahoma advances to face No. 2 seed Texas (20-7, 13-3 Big 12) on Wednesday, March 9 at 6 p.m.

OU won last year's Big 12 Tournament crown in Dallas by becoming the first team in tournament history to win four games in five days, upsetting three higher ranked opponents. Oklahoma also became the first program to win the tournament that wasn't one of the top four seeds. The Sooners were a sixth seed a year ago and enter this year's tournament as a seventh seed.

In addition, Oklahoma was the last team to win the tournament title in Kansas City. OU will defend the 2002 tournament crown it won inside Municipal Auditorium as the top seed. The Sooners put on an impressive three-game run as OU's average margin of victory was +22 points.

Dionnah Jackson was the tournament's MVP a year ago after leading OU with 17 ppg. She was also named to the 2002 Big 12 All-Tournament team after averaging 12.0 ppg and 5.7 rpg. Jackson scored a then-career best 23 points against Oklahoma State in the quarterfinals.

2005 Phillips 66 Big 12 Women's Basketball Tournament
Kansas City, Mo. (Municipal Auditorium)

Tuesday, March 8
Game 1: No. 9 Missouri vs. No. 8 Kansas, 12 p.m.
Game 2: No. 12 Colorado vs. No. 5 Iowa State, 2:30 p.m.
Game 3: No. 10 Texas A&M vs. No. 7 Oklahoma, 6 p.m.
Game 4: No. 11 Oklahoma State vs. No. 6 Nebraska, 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, March 9
Game 5: Winner Game 1 vs. No. 1 Baylor, 12 p.m.
Game 6: Winner Game 2 vs. No. 4 Texas Tech, 2:30 p.m.
Game 7: Winner Game 3 vs. No. 2 Texas, 6 p.m.
Game 8: Winner Game 4 vs. No. 3 Kansas State, 8:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 10
Game 9: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 6 p.m.
Game 10: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 12
Game 11: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, 6 p.m.

*All Times Listed as Central and Subject to Change