Sooners Seek Bedlam Sweep Tuesday

NORMAN, Okla -- The Oklahoma women's basketball team (17-4, 7-0 Big 12) will pursue its 15th consecutive win and seventh consecutive sweep of the Bedlam Series, presented by your Oklahoma Ford Dealers and the Bank of Oklahoma, on Tuesday night at 7 at the Lloyd Noble Center. The game is being broadcast by the Sooner Sports Network and will air on KAUT-UPN (Cox channel 16) in the Oklahoma City/metro area.

Mark Rodgers (play-by-play) and Kenny Mossman (color) will team together on the TV broadcast, while Brian Brinkley (play-by-play) and Tara DeGiusti will handle the radio broadcast on KOKC (1520 AM).

OU has not lost to Oklahoma State (6-13, 0-8) in Norman since 1998 and has won by an average of 20 points at LNC since. In the first meeting this season, OU triumphed 85-51 at Gallagher Iba Arena thanks in large part to a season high 13 three-pointers. Leah Rush led six Sooners in double figures with 15 points, while Courtney Paris registered a game-high 16 rebounds.

Game Notes | Bedlam Standings | Order Tickets

The Sooners are off to a 7-0 start in Big 12 play, which ranks as the second best beginning in program history. OU is two wins shy of the program record and could be able to tie the mark at Missouri this weekend. OU's surge to a two-game lead in the Big 12 has been keyed by the emergence of Britney Brown and Chelsi Welch. Brown is averaging 8.7 points per game in conference action, which is 3.5 points above her season average. Welch's scoring output has increased 3.2 points (11.9 in Big 12 compared to 8.7 on the season) and her shooting percentage (.471) is 76 points higher than her yearly output.

The Sooners travel to Missouri on Saturday for a 5 p.m. contest at Mizzou Arena. The game is being broadcast by the Missouri Sports Network and will be simulcast to Oklahoma markets on KAUT-UPN.

Setting The Scene
Date: Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2006
Location: Norman, Okla.
Tipoff: 7 p.m. CST
Venue: Lloyd Noble Center (12,000)
TV: Sooner Sports Network (KAUT-UPN, Cox Channel 16)
TV Talent: Mark Rodgers (Play-by-Play) & Kenny Mossman
Webcast: None
Radio: KOKC (1520 AM)
Radio Talent: Brian Brinkley (Play-by-Play) & Tara DeGiusti
Tickets: (800) 456-GoOU

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

Sooner Sports Network TV Affiliates
KAUT-UPN in OKC (Cox 16)
Cox 78 in Tulsa
KSWO-Lawton
KOMI-Woodward

Player To Watch
Seniors Laura Andrews and Beky Preston have never lost to Oklahoma State. Tuesday night's game will be the eighth and final Bedlam for each of the Sooners. Andrews comes into the rivalry contest on an offensive hot streak. In the last two games, Andrews has made 6-8 field goal attempts, 4-4 free throws and 4-4 three-point attempts. Her 14 points, including 12 in the second half, helped OU outpace Texas A&M last Saturday. Additionally, she has averaged 7.7 PPG against OSU.

Sign of the Times - One
Courtney Paris ranks No. 1 in the NCAA in total rebounds (311), rebounds per game (14.8), double-doubles (18) and consecutive double-doubles (13). The double-double streak is tied for the longest in the NCAA this season with Jillian Robbins of Tulsa. Paris can set the mark with a double dip against Oklahoma State.

Texas A&M Leftovers
Freshman Courtney Paris scored 18 points and Chelsi Welch and Britney Brown added 16 apiece to lead No. 13 Oklahoma past Texas A&M 81-72 on Saturday.

Oklahoma (17-4, 7-0 Big 12) used an 8-2 run early in the second half to break a 38-38 tie and take a lead that the team wouldn't relinquish.

Paris, the leading scorer in the Big 12 Conference, also had 14 rebounds, five assists and two blocks.

Texas A&M (16-5, 5-3) was led by A'Quonesia Franklin who had 20 points and 10 assists and Takia Starks with 19 points.

The Aggies only committed eight turnovers, to 17 by Oklahoma, but were plagued by poor shooting. They made just 32 percent in first half and 37 percent for the game.

Paris, a 6-foot-4 center who averages more than 21 points and almost 15 rebounds a game, continued to dominate on Saturday. She helped Oklahoma overcome an early 5-2 deficit by making six straight points.

Laura Andrews added 14 points and Leah Rush had 11 for the Sooners.

The win helped Oklahoma remain the only team in the conference to be undefeated in league play and maintain first place in the Big 12.

Postgame Notes
The Sooners set a season-high with 24 assists. The previous high was 23 set against Iowa. OU also set a season high by shooting 59.6 percent (31-52) from the field, which topped the previous high of 56.9 against Oral Roberts.
OU snapped Texas A&M's 13-game home winning streak, which was the longest in the Big 12. The Sooners ended the previous league high, which belonged to Baylor and was at 26 games until last weekend. OU has also snapped home winning streaks of 21 at Iowa State and 16 at New Mexico.
OU is shooting 45.7 percent (35-83) from 3-point range in its four road Big 12 games. On Saturday they were 4-8 from long range.
Paris also surpassed the 300 rebound plateau in the game, reaching the mark faster than any other player in OU history. With 311 this season, Paris is 88 shy of tying the single season record.
Paris moved into fourth on the OU career double-double list with her 18th. She had been tied with Etta Maytubby with 17. Paris also took sole possession of the third longest double figure scoring streak in OU history. The rookie's streak is now at 21, surpassing the 20-game streak of Joe Mosely in 1987-88.
Welch recorded a career-high seven assists besting her previous high of five set against Utah during the 2004 season.

Big 12 History
The Oklahoma Sooners went 8-8 in the Big 12 last season and finished in a tie for sixth place. All-time, OU has a 89-63 (.580) Big 12 record under head coach Sherri Coale. The Sooners have won three regular season titles (2000, 2001, 2002) and two conference tournaments (2002, 2004). The Sooners were picked to finish fourth in the Big 12 Coaches Preseason Poll this season, behind No. 1 Baylor, No. 2 Texas and No. 3 Texas Tech.

Oklahoma is 7-0 in conference, which is its second best start to Big 12 play. The best start in program history was 9-0 in 1999-2000.

Overall, OU is 49-26 in Big 12 games played at the Lloyd Noble Center and 40-37 in conference road contests.

Junior Leah Rush was named to the Coaches Preseason All-Big 12 Team and freshman Courtney Paris was selected by the coaches as the Preseason Freshman of the Year.

Oklahoma State Tidbits
Oklahoma State is 6-13 and 0-8 in Big 12 play under first year head coach Kurt Budke. The Cowgirls have dropped eight straight games and have not won on the road this season.

Budke left Louisiana Tech last season after compiing a 134-26 record with the Lady Techsters. His first campaign with OSU is the worst season - record wise - of his impressive career.

Oklahoma State is led by a pair of junior college transfers in junior center Whitney Pegram and junior guard Brisa Silva. Pegram is averaging 15.3 points per game, which ranks 10th in the Big 12. The 6-4 post is second in the league in blocks per game at 3.05.

Silva is third on the team in scoring at 8.6 points per game. The native of Mexico has taken over the starting point guard duties due to injuries this season.

Also having a standout season is freshman Shaunte Smith, who attended Putnam City North as a prepster. Smith is second on the team in scoring (11.0 PPG) and rebounds (6.6 RPG).

OU leads the all-time series 42-34 and has won 15 straight against its instate rival. The Sooners will be after their seventh straight season sweep on Tuesday and have not dropped a game in Norman to the Pokes since 1998. Since that loss, OU has won by an average of 20 points when the squads have met at the Lloyd Noble Center.

Four current Sooners - Chelsi Welch, Erin Higgins, Leah Rush and Laura Andrews - have averaged at least seven points a game in their career against OSU. Tops on the roster is Welch with an average of 11.2 PPG, while Higgins isn't too far behind at 8.8 PPG. Rush and Andrews have averaged 8.4 PPG and 7.4 PPG, repectively.-

Pregame Lay-Ups
According to Jeff Sagarin's RPI rankings (RPIrankings.com) OU has the fourth toughest schedule and the eighth-best overall RPI ... The NCAA will release its official RPI numbers on Feb. 2 and they will be updated weekly until the NCAA tournament field is announced ... Laura Andrews has made converted four consecutive 3-point attempts ... Chelsi Welch has made 13 straight free throw attempts ... Welch already has streaks of 23 and 28 straight makes this season.

Board Work
Oklahoma is the top team in the Big 12 in terms of rebounding margin at +11.7 and ranked fourth nationally as of Jan. 23. OU is averaging 44.3 rebounds per game as compared to the opponents 32.6. In 20 games, OU has out-rebounded opponents by double figures on 14 occasions, including five of seven Big 12 games this season. The season high was a +36 effort against SMU. Connecticut and Michigan State are the only teams to out-rebound the Sooners this season.

What Brown Can Do For OU
Junior point guard Britney Brown's improved play since the start of the Big 12 season has been a major factor in OU's surge to the top of the league standings. Brown is averaging 8.7 points and 4.8 assists per game in Big 12 play. Both marks trump her season averages by hefty margins (3.5 in points, 1.3 in assists). The Norman native has taken advantage of opponents sagging defense by increasing her offensive output, especially in the last two contests when she has twice set a career high in points. Against Texas she set the mark at 13 and against Texas A&M she set it at 16.

Records Set
Below are the records that freshman Courtney Paris has set in 21 games:
* The fastest player to 100, 200, 300 and 400 points in OU history, she needed five games to eclipse the century mark and 10 to reach 200,14 to reach 300 and 20 for 400.
* The fastest player to 100, 200 and 300 rebounds in OU history, she needed nine games to reach the century mark, 14 to reach 200 and 21 for 300.
* Owns the OU single season record with 18 double-doubles.
* Owns the OU freshman rebounding record with 311 boards and counting.
* In the midst of OU record streak of 13 consecutive double-doubles.
* Set an OU record by becoming the first player to score 10 or more points in the first 21 games of their career, which is the third best streak in program history.
* Set an OU freshman single game record with 22 rebounds against UCLA.
* Tied an OU single game freshman scoring record with 32 points against Texas. She shares the honor with LaNeishea Caufield (1999 vs. Missouri).
* Owns the best 10-game freshman scoring average, 21.0, in OU history (previous was 13.2 by Angie Guffy, 1991-92).
* Owns the best 10-game freshman rebounding average, 13.6, in OU history (previous was 8 by Angie Guffy, 1991-92).
* Set an OU record by becoming the first player to record a double-double in the first three games of her career.
* Set an OU record by recording double figure rebounds in the first three games of her career.
* Owns the second-best single season block total with 67 blocks.
* Set an OU freshman debut record with 24 points in the opener against Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
* Set a Preseason WNIT single game record with 20 rebounds in the second round game against SMU. Also set the tournament rebound record with 54 total boards in four games.
* No. 4 on the OU career double-double list with 18.
* Set Big 12 record with six weekly awards in the same season. Also tied Big 12 record with five Big 12 Rookie of the Week awards this season.

NCAA Impact
Courtney Paris is putting together one of the best freshman seasons in NCAA history and if she continues her current pace the record books will show it. Stretched out over a 31-game season, which includes the regular season and one Big 12 tournament game, she is on pace to collect 459 rebounds, which would top the current record of 443 by Ida Johnson (Delta State, 1982). She is also on pace for the sixth best scoring season by a rookie in NCAA history. Her projected total is 657, which would fall just short of the top five that is headlined by Tennessee legend Tamika Catchings at No. 3 with 711. She is also on pace to set the NCAA freshman blocks record with a projected total of 99.

Guess Who's Back
It was a hot topic of conversation leading up to the 2005-06 season; whether or not Chelsi Welch would be able to return to the form that earned her Co-Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors in 2002-03.

The junior has reestablished herself as a consistent scoring threat in the last nine games. She has reemerged to average 12.9 points and 4.4 rebounds during the run.

Welch has tallied 63 percent (116-of-183) of her points this season in the last nine games.

Welch refound her stroke at the right time for OU. The Sooners were coming off a two-game losing streak, during which the missing piece was a secondary scorer alongside freshman phenom Courtney Paris. Coincidentally, the nine-game outburst coincided with her return to the starting lineup. She started the first four games of the year before coming off the bench in the next eight contests.
Welch tore the Anterior Cruciate Ligament in her left knee prior to her sophomore season (2003-04). She returned last year to average 5.9 points and 2.2 rebounds per game As a freshman she averaged 12.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.

The Best of All-Time
It was only a matter of time before Erin Higgins took the spot at the top. On January 7th she became the OU career leader in 3-pointers made by knocking down two against Colorado and setting her career mark at 176. She has since increased the total to 187.

Higgins hit five 3-pointers against Iowa State on Jan. 4, to move into a first place tie with Etta Maytubby on the OU career list. Both players had 174 career treys, although it took Higgins 84 less attempts to reach the mark. Now the Oklahoma City native has the remainder of this season and next year to build on the record.

Higgins is also fourth in career 3-point percentage at 37.9 (187-493). She recently set an OU record of 19 consecutive games with a three-pointer. At her current pace, Higgins will finish her career with 296 treys.

Higgins Lights It Up From Outside
Erin Higgins has already knocked down 53 three-pointers this season and is shooting 41.7 (53-127) percent from long distance. The hot start is an improvement over last season when she made 37 percent (67-181) on the year.

Charity Worker
Junior Chelsi Welch made her first 25 free throws this season to extend her career best streak to 28 consecutive free throws dating back to the Kansas State game on Feb. 13, 2005. She missed her eighth attempt against Oral Roberts but finished the game 11-12 from the charity stripe. The streak was three short of breaking into the NCAA records books as one of the top-20 streaks of all-time.

On the season she is 67-70 with a Big 12 leading 95.7 percentage, which ranked fourth in the NCAA as of Jan. 23. Welch has also had a streak of 23 straight makes this season and currently has made her last 13 attempts.

For her career, Welch is an 86.1 (192-223) shooter, which is the best mark in OU history. She isn't the only exceptional free throw shooter on the OU squad. Leah Rush is shooting at an 81.7 (210-257) percentage, which is currently the third best mark in OU history. Krista Sanchez and Erin Higgins also have career percentages of 70 percent or better.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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