Upcoming Event: Women's Basketball versus North Carolina on November 2, 2026 at TBA
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Women's Basketball
vs North Carolina
University of Oklahoma Athletics
No. 9 OU Fights Illini Wednesday
December 04, 2007 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 4, 2007
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The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network (Ch. 220 on DirecTV; Ch. 439 on Dish Network). Mark Neely (play-by-play) and Brenda VanLengen (color) have the call.
Sooner Sports Network has the radio broadcast of the game. In Oklahoma City, tune to KOKC 1520 AM.
Tip off is scheduled for 8 p.m. Central.
PREVIEWING ILLINOIS
The Sooners (4-2) look to avenge a loss to Illinois (6-2) from two seasons ago when they travel to Champaign for Wednesday night's game.
Illinois defeated Illinois-Chicago, 69-57, on Dec. 2 after losing at N.C. State, 61-47, Nov. 29 in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
6-foot-3 sophomore forward Jenna Smith, who is averaging 20.0 points and 10.6 rebounds per game to lead the Illini, should provide an interesting challenge to the Sooners as they will have to defend the tallest starting five they have faced this season.
Illinois is the first of two Big Ten teams OU will face in the next 12 days as they play Michigan State in East Lansing on Sunday, Dec. 16.
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PARIS BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Courtney Paris was named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week, announced by the conference office Tuesday morning, by a media voting panel for games played from Nov. 26 to Dec. 2.
It was the 17th time in her career that Paris earned either player of the week or rookie of the week honors from the Big 12, extending her conference record.
Paris averaged 20.5 points and 18.5 rebounds as she led Oklahoma past North Texas, 79-47, and Arkansas State, 93-36, in OU's first home games of the season. Paris played just 47 minutes in the two games, but scored 41 points and grabbed 37 rebounds while shooting 70 percent from the field and 83 percent from the free throw line.
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.
In the most recently released RPI (Dec. 4), Oklahoma was No. 4 in strength of schedule.
LAST TIME VERSUS ILLINOIS
Danyel Crutcher scored a career-high 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to spark the Illini to an 86-75 upset. Janelle Hughes scored 11 straight points during a 16-4 run in the second half as Illinois (6-3) snapped a seven-game losing streak against teams ranked in the AP Top 25.
Crutcher started 24 games as a freshman last season, but had been relegated to a bench role this season and averaged just nine minutes per game until Sunday. After Audrey Tabon picked up a couple quick fouls trying to guard Oklahoma's Courtney Paris, Illini coach Theresa Grentz turned to Crutcher and sent her into the game.
She responded with a basket and a steal.
Paris scored 27 points and grabbed 19 rebounds for Oklahoma (9-2), but she didn't get a lot of help and when her fourth foul forced her to the bench with 12:36 to go, Illinois was poised to strike.
Maggie Acuna's jumper with 9:06 left cut the Illini deficit to 62-59 and Hughes went to work. She hit two jumpers and her 3-pointer with 7:31 left gave Illinois a 66-64 lead, its first since the opening minute.
Hughes, who finished with 17 points, hit two more jumpers and Illinois led 70-64 with 6:08 remaining. She said her outburst came after a "little pep talk" on the bench.
Erin Wigley also scored 17 points for Illinois, which played just its second home game this season. Lori Bjork added 12.
Higgins was 3-of-4 from 3-point range and had 11 points for Oklahoma. Laura Andrews added 10.
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 0-5 all-time versus No. 1.
• The last OU opponent to shoot 50 percent or better from the field was Illinois, in an 86-75 loss in Champaign, Ill., on Dec. 18, 2005, a span of 60 games. The Illini made 27-of-54 from the field including a 6-of-10 clip off 3-pointers.
• OU leads the all-time series with Illinois, 2-1, with both teams undefeated on their home courts. The last meeting was an 86-75 win for the Illini on Dec. 18, 2005 in Champaign. OU won the first two meetings, 91-69 on Dec. 16, 2001, and 70-53 on Dec. 28, 2003, in Norman.
• Oklahoma is 9-8 all-time against teams in the Big Ten Conference. OU's record against the Big Ten in true road games is 2-3, but the Sooners even up the series at 6-6 at any site away from Norman.
• The last Big Ten opponent the Sooners faced was then-No. 8 Ohio State in a 74-67 loss in Norman on Dec. 20, 2006.
• One of OU's signature wins as a program came against a Big Ten team in the NCAA Tournament. On March 4, 2000, the Sooners defeated No. 15/13 Purdue, 76-74, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in West Lafayette, Ind., to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history.
• After Oklahoma's torrential start to the season, opening against then-No. 3 Maryland, No. 1 Tennessee and No. 14 Arizona State at neutral sites, the Sooners have found the last three of four straight victories somewhat easier to come by. The Sooners have been statistically dominant in the past three games:
- In OU's first three contests, the Sooners were outscored by one point and held an average rebounding margin of +8. In its past three games against unranked opponents, the Sooners are outscoring opponents by an average of 36 points and outrebounding by 24.
- Despite its competition, OU is shooting better than 40 percent from the field in all six games in 2007-08. The Sooners started the 2006-07 season with a streak of 18 games above 40 percent, the best start in six seasons. Counting the 18 games the Sooners shot 40 percent or better to end the 2005-06 season, a multi-season streak of 36 games is the Sooners best under Sherri Coale.
- OU's .824 (14-of-17) free throw success against Arkansas State was its best, when attempting 10 or more shots from the charity stripe, since the final game - a span of 105 - of the 2005 season against Arizona when the Sooners made 15-of-17 (.882) free throws.
- The Sooners have shot 50 percent or better from the free throw line in all six games this season. OU has never shot .500 or better from the free throw line in every game of a season in its history, although it made a nice run last year just missing the mark by one free throw in a 9-for-20 (.420) effort against New Mexico on Dec. 20, 2006 - its only game below 50 percent. OU just missed the mark back in the 2003 season, too, again falling shot by just one free throw in one game.
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
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.
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