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
Another Top 25 Matchup for Women
December 14, 2007 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 14, 2007
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The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network (DirecTV Channel 420; Dish Channel 439). Dan Gutowsky has the play-by-play with the WNBA's Stephanie White on analysis.
Brian Brinkley and Tara DeGiusti will have the radio call on the Sooner Sports Network (KOKC 1520 AM in OKC).
Tip-off is 11 a.m. Central.
PREVIEWING MICHIGAN STATE
The No. 9 Sooners and No. 21 Spartans meet up at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Mich., to finish a home-and-home series that Michigan State got the better of two years ago in Norman.
The focus of attention will be 6-foot-9 Alyssa DeHaan, the two-time Big Ten Player of the Week who was recently added to the Wade Watch list. DeHaan is the nation's leading shot blocker.
Like OU, Michigan State relies on its youth. MSU returns two starters and seven letterwinners from last season's team that went 24-9 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. However, only one starter (DeHaan) from last year is currently in the lineup. MSU's starting lineup features three freshman, one sophomore and one senior. Out of MSU's 12 active players, nine are freshmen and sophomores -- just like the Sooners.
Mia Johnson, a starter last season who torn her ACL in summer workouts, returned to the court for two minutes in MSU's last game versus Indiana State (Dec. 8). Johnson averaged 8.3 points and 3.9 rebounds last year.
First-year MSU head coach Suzy Merchant is 208-122 in her 13th season of Division I coaching.
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ROOKIE OF THE WEEK TIMES THREE
Oklahoma's Danielle Robinson was voted Big 12 Rookie of the Week for the third time this season this week..
Robinson was OU's second leading scorer last week, averaging 12.5 points in road wins at Illinois and Tulsa.
Against the Fighting Illini, Robinson had 14 points, four rebounds and a career high seven steals. Robinson single-handedly changed the flow of the game by scoring eight points in a 16-3 second half run that lifted the Sooners to a 70-57 lead with 3:36 remaining. During the stretch, Robinson also had back-to-back steals for layups. Oklahoma won 77-67.
In the 67-47 win over the Golden Hurricane, Robinson scored 11 points and matched a career best with six assists. Though Robinson was not credited with a steal, she did deflect four balls out of bounds and took one charge.
Through eight career games, Robinson has 22 steals -- more than any other Sooner in history. LaNeisha Caufield (1998-99), OU's career record holder with 402 steals (122 more than her next challenger), had 21 after her eighth game.
Courtney Paris holds the record for most Rookie of the Week honors with nine in 2005-06.
TOWERING TANDEMS
It will be a battle of the bigs as 6-4 Courtney Paris meets 6-9 Alyssa DeHaan Sunday when OU and Michigan State hit the hardwood.
It will be the 21st time Paris will match up against a player with equal or greater height. Paris averages 20 points and 15.3 rebounds, just under career averages of 22.1 an 15.5, when the opposing team's starting forward/center is 6-4 or taller. Conversely, an opponent of equal or greater height to Paris averages just 9.2 points and 5.6 rebounds.
Paris has yet to match up with anyone with the height advantage DeHaan carries. Paris has matched up just twice against a 6-6 player. Kirsten Thompson had just four points and two rebounds in OU's win against Arizona State earlier this year. Last season, Texas Tech's Patrice Edwards scored 16 and had five rebounds in OU's 70-67 win in Lubbock, Texas. Edwards also came off the bench in Tech's meeting in Norman for 12 points and 10 boards.
D-ROB, MOST VAUABLE FRESHMAN
Oklahoma's Danielle Robinson is the only freshman on a Top 25 program to lead her team in assists and steals.
Robinson scored eight of her 14 points against Illinois in a 16-3 run in the second half, lifting the Sooners to a 70-57 lead with 3:36 remaining. Robinson also had back-to-back steals for layups in the stretch. The Sooners won, 77-67, as Robinson recorded a career high seven steals to give her 22 on the season.
Of her 93 points scored this season, 28 (30 percent) have come by way of the fast break, including 10 of her 18 against Arizona State.
The following is a look at the production of some of the nation's top freshmen guards.
| Production by the Nation's Top Freshmen | |||||
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Player |
Team |
GP |
Points |
Assists |
Steals |
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Angie Bjorklund |
Tennessee |
7 |
10.1 |
1.7 |
1.6 |
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Sydney Colson |
Texas A&M |
9 |
5.4 |
2.2 |
2.2 |
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Cetera DeGraffenreid |
North Carolina |
11 |
12.5 |
3.3 |
2.6 |
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Maya Moore |
Connecticut |
7 |
17.4 |
3.0 |
1.9 |
| Angela Puleo | Georgia |
9 |
8.1 |
2.4 |
1.0 |
| Danielle Robinson | Oklahoma |
8 |
11.6 |
4.3 |
2.8 |
| Alli Smalley | Auburn |
9 |
10.4 |
2.6 |
1.3 |
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Marah Strickland |
Maryland |
14 |
9.0 |
0.7 |
0.7 |
SEASON TICKET UPDATE
As of Friday, Nov. 30, the OU Athletics Ticket Office had sold approximately 6,580 season ticket packages. The number breaks the record of 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 became available Monday, Nov. 19.
Single game tickets for all home games are $8 for adults and $5 for youths (K-12).
The Sooner fan base is one of the nation's fastest growing. 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, which was an increased of 35 percent over the previous season.
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.
After games played through Dec. 6, Oklahoma's strength of schedule was rated No. 4 in the RPI.
LAST TIME VERSUS MICHIGAN STATE
Liz Shimek scored 25 points and had a season-high 14 rebounds to lead No. 11 Michigan State to an 80-60 win over No. 16 Oklahoma, Dec. 20, 2005.
In a meeting of dominant inside players, Shimek guided her team to victory by simply staying on the court. Michigan State built much of its lead while Paris, who entered the game seventh in the nation in scoring and second in rebounding, was on the bench.
Paris scored 23 of her 29 points in the second half, but it was not enough to lead the Sooners back from a 22-point deficit.
With Paris out of the game, the Spartans scored the final 10 points of the first half, then continued pulling away with a 14-6 run after the break. Laura Hall hit back-to-back baskets, Shimek and Rene Haynes made 3-pointers and Victoria Lucas-Perry's layup pushed Michigan State's lead to 48-26.
Oklahoma rallied with a 13-3 run that included 3-pointers from Erin Higgins and Chelsi Welch and a three-point play by Paris. Welch's two free throws pulled Oklahoma within 51-39.
Paris then scored 12 of Oklahoma's next 14 points, but the Sooners were unable to cut into the Spartans' lead. Consecutive baskets by Lindsay Bowen, Lucas-Perry and Haynes stretched the lead to 71-53 and put the game out of reach.
Michigan State, the national runner-up last season, won for its first time in three games against ranked teams.
Paris also had 12 of her 21 rebounds while playing the entire second half and was 9-for-20 from the field, while her teammates were a combined 11-for-52.
Shimek scored 18 points and had nine rebounds in the first half and was dominant when Paris wasn't on the floor.
Shimek scored six points in an 11-2 Michigan State run that started when Paris left for the first time, and capped by Bowen's 3-pointer that put the Spartans ahead 17-8.
Paris re-entered and scored back-to-back baskets as Oklahoma cut into the deficit with six straight points, but she headed to the sidelines again after picking up her second foul by ramming into Bowen on her way up the court without the ball.
QUICK HITS
• Oklahoma is 50-63 all-time against ranked opponents. OU is 44-35 all-time when ranked and facing another ranked team. OU is 0-8 all-time versus No. 1.
• Michigan State leads the all-time series with Oklahoma, 1-0. The Spartans took an 80-60 victory from the Sooners in Norman on Dec. 21, 2005.
• Oklahoma is 10-8 all-time against teams in the Big Ten Conference. OU's record against the Big Ten in true road games is 3-3 and 7-6 at any site away from Norman.
• The last meeting between OU and Michigan State saw Courtney Paris rack up 29 points, 22 rebounds, six blocks and three steals in 32 minutes of court time.
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.
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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
Courtney has braces? Find out what prompted her sudden dental work by reading 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.
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