Completed Event: Women's Basketball at #23 Alabama on February 15, 2026 , Win , 79, to, 71
Final
Women's Basketball
79
at #23 Alabama
71
University of Oklahoma Athletics
Sooners Open with No. 4 Terps
November 10, 2007 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 10, 2007
|
| |||||||||||||||||||
The game will be the second of the State Farm Tip-Off Classic, hosted by the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C., at the Dean E. Smith Center.
The first game of the State Farm Tip-Off Classic is a matchup between Arizona State, the Sooners' third regular-season opponent, and North Carolina.
The game will broadcast live on ESPN2 with Beth Mowins calling the play-by-play and Carolyn Peck as the color analyst.
The contest will air on the Sooner Radio Network (flagship KOKC AM-1520 in Oklahoma City) with Ed Murray and Tara DeGiusti announcing.
PREVIEWING MARYLAND
• The game is the first meeting of the Oklahoma and Maryland women's basketball programs.
• The featured on-court battle with take place between OU center Courtney Paris and UM center Crystal Langhorne. Both were named to the Associated Press' Preseason All-America Team and the duo teamed to help the U.S. Under 21 National Team to a world championship in July.
• Maryland will have one game under its belt by the time they face Oklahoma. The Terrapins play the Princeton Tigers, another first-time meeting, in the first round of the Preseason WNIT Friday night in College Park, Md. The winner of that game plays the winner of Delaware and Delaware State Tuesday, Nov. 13.
• Maryland returns all but one starter from a team that made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight season. The Sooners return three starters from their Sweet 16 team.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||
PRESEASON PERFORMANCE
• Oklahoma is 17-0 in exhibition games since 2000.
• OU's exhibition opener versus Lake Truck in 2006-07 set an attendance record for an exhibition game with 9,023 fans.
• On Nov. 1, The Sooners routed NCAA Division II Henderson State 110-40 in front of 5,082 fans at the Lloyd Noble Center. The attendance was the fifth best in OU history for a women's exhibition game. The margin of victory (70) points, was two shy of OU's program record.
• On Nov. 6, The Sooners piled on points NAIA Division I Oklahoma Christian, 110-51, with an attendance of 5,172 -- the fourth best exhibition game attendance mark in program history.
SEASON TICKET UPDATE
As of Monday, Nov. 5, the OU Athletics Ticket Office had sold approximately 6,450 season ticket packages. The number is an increase of 250 at the same point last year and is just shy of the record 6,465 season tickets bought for OU women's basketball last season.
Though reserved level season tickets have sold out, general admission season tickets remain and fans are encouraged to purchase them prior to the start of the season. GA season tickets are available for $115. Group and single game tickets are now available.
Single game tickets for all home games are $8 for adults and $5 for youths (K-12).
The Oklahoma women's basketball team ranked No. 4 in attendance last season, averaging 10,437 fans. That was an increase of 37 percent from the 2005-06 season when Lloyd Noble Center games averaged 7,630.
Fans can purchase season tickets by calling th OU Ticket Office at (800) 456-GoOU or online at SoonerSports.com.
TEAM CAPTAINS
Since Britney Brown, Erin Higgins and Leah Rush -- the captains for the past two seasons -- have departed, new leaders must take control. The 2007-08 captains, as voted by team members, are Ashley Paris, Courtney Paris, Jenna Plumley and Amanda Thompson.
THE NATION'S TOUGHEST START
Oklahoma will play 11 regular-season games, among eight different teams, ranked in the USA Today/ESPN Preseason Coaches' Poll. That is not the toughest schedule in the nation as No. 1 Tennessee will look to earn its way back to the national title game with 12 games among 11 preseason Top 25 teams.
However, OU will face a tougher start than any other team in college basketball with its first three games among teams in the top 12, including No. 1 Tennesee and No. 4 Maryland -- the past two national champions. All three of these games will be played at neutral sites.
FIRST-TIME FLIER
Freshman guard Jenny Vining, who grew up in the small town of Marshall, Ark., will be making her first trip by airplane when the Sooners travel to Chapel Hill, N.C., for the State Farm Tip-Off Classic and matchup with the No. 4 Maryland Terrapins.
ROETHLISBERGERS IN ACTION
After watching Ben quarterback the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Cleveland Browns Sunday afternoon, Roethlisberger fans can flip the tube to ESPN2 and catch sister Carlee and the Sooners play their season opener against Maryland.
ALMOST A HALL-OF-FAMER
While the 2008 class of the Women's College Basketball Hall of Fame celebrates their induction week with the State Farm Tip-Off Classic, a participant in the games will be honored at a hall of fame, too. OU freshman Danielle Robinson will be recognized as the Female High School Athlete of the Year at the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremonies Wednesday, Nov. 14. Entering the San Jose Hall of Fame are Mark Spitz (swimming), Brian Boitano (figure skating), Bert Bonnano (track and field), Kim Oden (volleyball) and Bud and Ralph Ogden (basketball).
FRESHMAN FACTS
After losing six seniors, the OU women's basketball team should be expected to look and play much differently this season than past Sherri Coale-coached teams have played. However, while these freshmen are very talented and will make their names known quickly, they do draw comparisons to some familiar faces.
Danielle Robinson | 5-9 | G | San Jose, Calif.
Robinson was the Sooners' surprise pickup of the 2007 recruiting class. After acknowledging OU was off her radar until her official visit, Robinson made the decision to be a Sooner before she checked her bags for the return flight home. The speedy guard will see time both on and off the point and draws comparisons to Dionnah Jackson.
Carlee Roethlisberger | 6-1 | F | Findlay, Ohio
Having the third most recognizable surname speaks to the star power on the Sooners' roster. Yes, Carlee is the sister of Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback Ben, but she may the family's best athlete. Roethlisberger is leanest Sooner and the one with the greatest ceiling in terms of untapped basketball potential. Her play resembles another lean forward in former Sooner Leah Rush.
Jenny Vining | 5-9 | G | Marshall, Ark.
This Arkansas high school star will remind fans of former Sooner Erin Higgins because of her 3-point range and accuracy, although Vining's may prove to be better in both cases. Head coach Sherri Coale says that Vining might be the best freshman she has ever coached because of her ability to quickly learn from mistakes and make correct adjustments in practice.
Lauren Willis | 5-11 | G | Overland Park, Kan.
Willis was an all-stater in Kansas and walked-on to the OU program. She has been a stellar defender in practice as was quite the spark in OU's preseason intrasquad scrimmage as she went 3-for-3 from beyond the arc in limited action. Willis is the daughter of Steve Willis, a placekicker on Kansas State football's first ever bowl team, and the former Lois Groen, an All-American and Big Eight Conference track and field champion at Iowa State.
|
SOONERS PICKED TO FINISH SECOND IN BIG 12 Texas A&M, the 2006-07 Big 12 co-champions with Oklahoma, received seven of 12 first-place votes to edge the Sooners, who received five first-place votes, in a split decision between the two teams. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own team. PARIS PRESEASON BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE YEAR The 6-4 center, who averaged 23.5 points and 15.9 rebounds, was last season's Big 12 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year after leading the Sooners to title defenses of the conference's regular season and tournament championships. Ashley Paris was an honorable mention for the All-Big 12 team. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SOONERSPORTS.COM BLOG
Even though she was out of the country, Courtney Paris kept everyone at home up to speed on her progress with USA Basketball via the OU Women's Basketball Blog on SoonerSports.com.
OU head coach Sherri Coale submits regular postings and this season several OU players will enter the cyberspace realm with their own unique contributions.
PARIS A PRESEASON WOODEN AWARD CANDIDATE
Courtney Paris was named one of 30 preseason candidates for the 2007-08 Women's Wooden Award announced by the John R. Wooden Award committee Wednesday, Oct. 31.
Paris, a two-time Wooden All-American, was also a preseason nominee last year and was one of 16 finalists for the 2007 Women's Wooden Award. Tennessee's Candace Parker was the 2007 recipient of the honor.
The award is named for the three-time college basketball All-American, 1932 National Player of the Year and 10-time national championship coach John Wooden.
Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball. It is bestowed upon the nation's best player at an institution of higher education who has proven to his or her university that he or she is making progress toward graduation and maintaining a cumulative 2.0 GPA. Previous winners include such notables as Larry Bird (1979), Michael Jordan (1984), Tim Duncan (1997), and last year's recipients, Kevin Durant of Texas and Candace Parker of Tennessee.
PARIS AND TEAM USA QUALIFY FOR OLYMPICS
Courtney Paris missed 30 days of the Sooners' preseason training...and head coach Sherri Coale probably couldn't have been more pleased with the result.
Courtney Paris, one of two collegians playing for the USA Basketball Women's Senior National Team, swept through the FIBA Americas Zone Tournament in Valdivia, Chile, winning the gold medal against Cuba on Sept. 30 and, more importantly, clinching a berth for the United States in next year's Olympic Games.
Paris was a role-player for the U.S., as one of very few post players her size in international basketball. She averaged nine minutes per game as the Americans went through the tournament undefeated at 5-0.
It was Paris' seventh gold medal as part of a USA Basketball team.
PARIS AND U21 TEAM WIN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Paris earned twice as much gold this summer as she helped the USA Basketball Women's Under 21 Team to a World Championship title in July.
The U.S. defeated Australia, 96-73, in the title game in Moscow, Russia, to give Paris and Team USA its fourth straight gold in age-group basketball.
Paris played 39 games with USA Basketball in age group contests and never lost.
She averaged 10.9 points and 8.0 rebounds in eight contests during the World Championships.
Jennie Baranczyk, Payton Verhulst, and Raegan Beers Postgame vs South Carolina
Saturday, March 28
Jennie Baranczyk, Sahara Williams, Aaliyah Chavez, and Raegan Beers Media Availability - 3/27/26
Friday, March 27
WBB Highlights: OU 77, Michigan State 71
Sunday, March 22
Jennie Baranczyk, Raegan Beers, and Payton Verhulst Postgame vs Michigan State
Sunday, March 22
