Sooners Nearly Upset No. 4 Tide

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. Oklahoma nearly pulled off the upset in head coach K.J. Kindler's debut. The Sooners led after three rotations before falling 195.700-194.500 in front of 11,996 at Coleman Coliseum the 12th-largest home crowd in Alabama history.

The Crimson Tide have never lost a non-conference home dual under 29th-year head coach Sarah Patterson.

The Sooners started strong, scoring a 49.050 on vault and winning the uneven bars by a 48.875-48.200 count. Oklahoma held a slim 146.475-146.250 lead after the third rotation, but falls on the floor exercise and balance beam, the team's final two events, proved costly.

"I thought we were really awesome on bars and vault," Kindler said. "I couldn't have asked for anything better right out of the gate. Floor was a little rough, and we knew we were a little behind on that event from a depth standpoint. We had some uncharacteristic mistakes that I don't think will happen again."

Final Stats | Photos | 2007 Media Guide

Senior Brittney Koncak-Schumann (39.350) finished second in the all-around, just 0.025 points behind Alabama freshman Kassi Price (39.375).

Kiara Redmond, a junior from Los Angeles, Calif., tied for first place on the vault with a score of 9.85 and seniors Lori Winn and Brittney Koncak-Schumann shared the beam title, posting a pair of 9.85s.

Sophomore Ashley Jackson posted a 9.825 on vault to tie for fourth place. Koncak-Schumann (9.85) and Winn (9.825) also posted top five finishes on the uneven pars, finishing third and fourth, respectively. Sophomore Haley DeProspero scored a 9.775 to tie for fifth on the balance beam.

Oklahoma also got solid contributions from a pair of newcomers. Jacqueline Flanery, from Plattsburg, Mo., recorded a 9.775s on both the vault and floor exercise. Mary Mantle, a Bellvue, Colo. native, scored a 9.8 on the vault, the Sooners' second-highest score on the apparatus.

"I saw a lot of what I needed to see tonight as far as how people compete and how they perform under pressure," Kindler said. "We learned a lot from this and we know what we need to do to make ourselves better."

OU opens its home season on Friday, Jan. 19 against Big 12 foe Missouri and Central Michigan. The meet is scheduled for a 7 p.m. (CST) start inside the Howard McCasland Field House. Fans can contact the OU Ticket Office at 325-2424 or (800) 456-4668 for ticket information.

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