Coale Sees Potential after Exhibition

Nov. 2, 2007

OU Freshmen Recap First College Game Experience

Danielle Robinson

Carlee Roethlisberger

Jenny Vining

Lauren Willis

NORMAN, Okla. -- One day, and one practice, after the Oklahoma women's basketball team routed Division II Henderson State, 110-40, in its first exhibition game, head coach Sherri Coale still wanted to remark about the potential of this year's team.

"We played harder than I thought we did," Coale said. "I think I got caught up in the ragged flow of the game because we were so far ahead and there were quite a few fouls late. When the game was over, I didn't think we had played very hard. When I watched the film, I was pleasantly surprised."

Each of the Sooners received minutes on the court in Thursday night's exhibition, something that will prove very valuable when No. 6 Oklahoma faces No. 4 Maryland, No. 1 Tennessee and No. 12 Arizona State in its first three regular-season contests.

Courtney Paris led the Sooners with 19 points and 18 rebounds -- in just 21 minutes of court time -- but it was the play of the rest of the squad that Coale, and perhaps the 5,082 fans in attendance, most wanted to see.

After a preseason-long, three-way battle, Nyeshia Stevenson drew the starting guard spot and contributed 12 points and two assists on offense and was able to use her athleticism on both sides of the court as well, grabbing three defensive rebounds.

Jenna Plumley and Danielle Robinson, who had four assists each, efficiently ran the point and combined for 27 points and forced seven Henderson State turnovers.

In fact, all 12 Sooners contributed to the box score, including walk-on Lauren Willis, whose five minutes was not without excitement as her lone field-goal attempt, a 3-pointer, took OU over the century mark with two-and-a-half minutes remaining in the game.

Bench players scored 61, or 55 percent, of the Sooners' total points.

"I did feel like we had a nice level of chemistry with a number of different combinations," Coale added, which is atypical with a group this young. I didn't think anybody looked uncomfortable.

"I thought that when we moved Jenna and Danielle and let them play together, and moved one to a point and the other to the 2, and rotate that back and forth, that they were really good with that and they adapted.

"Our freshman really did a lot of good instinctual things in terms of defensive rotation and filling a spot in transition, even if they weren't supposed to be in that position. So, I was pleased with the chemistry this early in the year."

Still, there are many things for the young Sooners to work through in practice.

"Greater sense of urgency defensively to create more things; backside help in rotations -- things that we shored up in practice today -- I think we got a lot better at them," Coale said.

"Offensively, we took some unnecessary risks in transition, things we don't have to do. Other than that, we had to run zone offense which we spent hardly any time working on. I was actually pleased with that. We did some good stuff but didn't shoot as well as I think we will."

OU's first-half field goal percentage was 69 percent and, after the second half, dipped to 59 percent -- better than in all but one of the Sooners' regular-season games last season. Though an exhibition game, the Sooners margin of victory was just two points from the program record.

"Aside from that, rebounding could be better -- it can always be better -- and, defensively, in practice we worked on keeping the ball out of the middle of the floor. I didn't think we did as good of a job of that last night as we wanted.

"If that improves Tuesday night, then we'll be pleased."

Oklahoma gets one more tune-up match inside the Lloyd Noble Center against Oklahoma Christian on Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. It is a foe that is very familiar to head coach Sherri Coale and assistant Jan Ross, who played for and still maintain a very close relationship with Lady Eagles head coach Stephanie Findley.

Oklahoma Christian recorded a 23-8 season and a trip its eighth-straight NAIA National Tournament last season.

"Hopefully, we'll get a chance to go against a man defense," Coale said tongue-in-cheek, "because I know we'll see that in a couple of games really quickly."

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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