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 and Raiders Tilt Wednesday
November 18, 2008 | Women's Basketball
SOONERS JUMP TO NO. 2
The University of Oklahoma women's basketball team matched its highest ranking in the 33-year history of the Associated Press Top 25 Poll, moving to No. 2 in the first-week edition of the poll released Monday.
The University of Oklahoma women's basketball team matched its highest ranking in the 33-year history of the Associated Press Top 25 Poll, moving to No. 2 in the first-week edition of the poll released Monday.
The Sooners, who were No. 4 in the preseason poll, jumped Stanford and Maryland, to match its best ranking set in the final poll of the 2002 season.
| Game Specifics | |
| Date and Time | Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. Central | Game Notes |
| Location | Norman, Okla. | Lloyd Noble Center |
| Tickets | OU Athletics Ticket Office |
| TV | None |
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Radio
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KOKC 1520 AM (Brian Brinkley & Kendra Wecker) |
| Webcast | SoonerSports.com All-Access |
| Live Stats | SoonerSports.com / CBS GameTracker |
GAME PREVIEW
Oklahoma hosts the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Wednesday, Nov. 19, at 7 p.m. at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla., in the second round of the Preseason WNIT. Oklahoma defeated UC Riverside, 88-57, and Middle Tennessee beat Lafayette (Pa.) College, 85-47, to advance.
• Oklahoma and Middle Tennessee are meeting for the second time. OU defeated MT, 83-75, at the Bowling Green (Ky.) Invitational to open the 1985-96 season.
• Oklahoma head coach Sherri Coale is 255-127 (.668) in her 13th season.
• Middle Tennessee head coach Rick Insell is 73-27 (.730) in his fourth season.
• Oklahoma has an all-time Preseason WNIT record of 4-2 (.667).
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ABOUT THE MIDDLE TENNESSEE BLUE RAIDERS
Middle Tennessee State University is a member of the Sun Belt Conference and is located in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
The Blue Raiders were picked to finish first in the Sun Belt's East Divsion. Junior guard Chelsia Lymon was a Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team pick.
MT returns five letterwinners, including three starters, and introduces five newcomers. The Blue Raiders lost five players, including NCAA scoring leader Amber Holt to graduation. The Blue Raiders finished the 2007-08 season with a 22-12 overall record and 14-4 mark in the Sun Belt, placing second in the East Division and finishing runner-up in the Sun Belt Tournament. Middle Tennessee lost in the second round of the WNIT to end its season.
MT head coach Rick Insell is 73-27 in his fourth year as a collegiate head coach (all at Middle Tennessee).
Lymon is a cousin of former NBA star Tim Hardaway and god-sister to Jalen Rose.Junior transfer Alysha Clark was a former Miss Basketball and Gatorade High School Player of the Year in Tennessee.
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PREVIEWING THE OKLAHOMA SOONERS
Oklahoma begins the season with high expectations and high rankings, No. 4 in the Preseason AP Poll and No. 7 in the Coaches' Poll. Returning for Oklahoma are 11 players, including four starters and three-time consensus All-American Courtney Paris. Big 12 freshman of the year Danielle Robinson will run the offense as a sophomore and teammates and coaches are raving about the prospects of Preseason Big 12 Freshman of the Year Whitney Hand.
Oklahoma again plays one of the toughest schedules in the nation with consensus No. 1 Connecticut, and top-ranked Tennessee and California as well as ranked Big 12 teams Texas A&M, Texas, Oklahoma State and Baylor on the slate. No. 6/4 North Carolina and No. 17/18 Arizona State could also be OU opponents in the Preseason WNIT.
OFFICIALLY A RECORD
It has long been thought that Courtney Paris' double-double numbers were NCAA records. Beginning with the 2008-09 season, those statements are now factual.
The NCAA has made single-season and career double-doubles as well as single-season and career consecutive double-doubles new records for women's basketball.
| Single-Season Double-Doubles 33 - Courtney Paris, Oklahoma, 2006 33 - Courtney Paris, Oklahoma, 2007 32 - Anne Donovan, Old Dominion, 1983 31 - Courtney Paris, Oklahoma, 2008 30 - Cheryl Taylor, Tennessee Tech, 1986 |
Single-Season Consecutive Double-Doubles 33 - Courtney Paris, Oklahoma, Nov. 12, 2006-March 25, 2007 31 - Courtney Paris, Oklahoma, Nov. 11, 2007-March 25, 2008 28 - Courtney Paris, Oklahoma, Dec. 5, 2005-March 25, 2006 18 - Cheryl Miller, Southern Cal, Nov. 28, 1984-Feb. 14, 1985 15 - Gail Koziara, Dartmouth, Jan. 16-Feb. 28, 1982 |
| Career Double-Doubles 98 - Courtney Paris, Oklahoma, 2006-Active 90 - Cheryl Taylor, Tennessee Tech, 1984-87 78 - Janet Harris, Georgia, 1982-85 75 - Sylvia Fowles, LSU, 2005-08 |
Career Consecutive Double-Doubles 93 - Courtney Paris, Oklahoma, Dec. 5, 2005-Active 19 - Anne Donovan, Old Dominion, Jan. 29, 1982-Dec. 29, 1983 18 - Cheryl Miller, Southern Cal, Nov. 28, 1994-Feb. 14, 1985 |
POSTGAME LEFTOVERS
Oklahoma Wins Season Opener
The fourth-ranked Sooners defeated UC Riverside, 88-57, Saturday, Nov. 15, in the opening round of the Preseason Women's NIT at the Lloyd Noble Center. Courtney Paris scored 16 points, Nyeshia Stevenson added 14 off the bench and Danielle Robinson, Ashley Paris and Amanda Thompson had 13 apiece in OU's balanced attack.
Holding Guard
Oklahoma's defense allowed UC Riverside starting guards just two points. UCR seniors Seyram Gbewonyo and Chanel Foster combined to shoot just1-for-14 (.071) from the field in 61 combined minutes of play. The lone field goal came in the final minute of the OU-UCR season opener. Conversely, OU starting guards, sophomore Danielle Robinson and freshman Whitney Hand, were 10-for-19 (.526) for 24 points in 51 combined minutes.
Paris Climbs to No. 2
Courtney Paris extended her NCAA-record double-double streak to 93 games and moved past Molly McGuire to No. 2 on Oklahoma's career scoring list. Paris trails Phylesha Whaley by 31 points.
More on Paris' Scoring Efficiency
Phylesha Whaley scored 2,187 points in 116 career games and an OU record 4,025 minutes played. Courtney Paris has 2,157 points in 101 games. Paris' 3,095 minutes played isn't even in the top 10 on Oklahoma's career list.
Rebound Record on Pace
The two-time NCAA single-season rebounding leader also passed Tennessee Tech's Cheryl Taylor and Southern Cal's Cheryl Miller for fourth on the NCAA career rebounding list. With 1,545 career rebounds, Paris needs 15 to match LSU's Sylvia Fowles for third all-time.
NOTEWORTHY
• OU Jumps to No. 2 in Media Poll
The University of Oklahoma women's basketball team matched its highest ranking in the 33-year history of the Associated Press Top 25 Poll, moving to No. 2 in the first-week edition of the poll. The Sooners, who were No. 4 in the preseason poll, jumped Stanford and Maryland, to match its best ranking set in the final poll of the 2002 season when OU played for a national championship against Connecticut.
• Paris a Unanimous Pick for All-American
Courtney Paris has been a regular on The Associated Press' preseason All-America team the past few years. Now, the senior has joined an elite group as only the sixth unanimous choice in the 15-year history of the squad. Joining the Oklahoma center on the team were Connecticut's Maya Moore, Louisville's Angel McCoughtry, Maryland's Kristi Toliver, and Oklahoma State's Andrea Riley. For the first time, Paris was on every ballot of the 45-member national media panel. Previous unanimous selections were Chamique Holdsclaw, Diana Taurasi, Alana Beard, Seimone Augustus and Candace Parker.
• Big 12 Coaches Vote Paris, Hand
There must be something in the water at the Lloyd Noble Center. After becoming the first school to sweep the Big 12's preseason vote for No. 1 team in men's and women's basketball, Oklahoma swept the league's picks for preseason player of the year and freshman of the year. The Big 12 Conference named Courtney Paris its Preseason Player of the Year for a third consecutive season and Whitney Hand, who tied with Texas A&M's Tyra White, its Co-Preseason Freshman of the Year in a vote of the league's head coaches.
• Oklahoma No. 1 in Big 12 Poll
In a vote of the league's coaches released Wednesday, the University of Oklahoma women's basketball team was the preseason favorite to win the 2009 Big 12 regular season championship. Sherri Coale's Sooners earned seven of the 12 first-place votes (coaches are not allowed to vote for their own teams) and 124 points to take No. 1. Texas (95) received one first-place vote for second in a close vote over Iowa State (93), which received two first-place votes. Baylor (89), with one first-place vote, Texas A&M (85), Oklahoma State (79 and one first-place vote), defending Big 12 champion Kansas State (71), Nebraska (56), Kansas (41), Texas Tech (36), Colorado (18) and Missouri (15), respectively, completed the poll.
It is the second time in the last three seasons (2006-07) that Oklahoma has been the coaches' preseason top pick and third time in the league's history (2001-02). The Big 12's preseason favroite has earned at least a share of the conference title in five of the previous 11 seasons the poll was conducted, including the two previous times OU was No. 1.
• Wecker Joins Oklahoma Staff
2005 Big 12 Player of the Year Kendra Wecker would join the team as a graduate assistant. Wecker was a three-time All-Big 12 First Team member at Kansas State and was picked fourth overall by the San Antonio Silver Stars in the 2005 WNBA Draft.
The Marysville, Kan., native ended her collegiate basketball career as one of the sport's most prolific athletes. A first-team All-American in 2005, Wecker was a three-time Naismith Player of the Year finalist and two-time Wade Trophy and Wooden Award finalist. Wecker still holds Kansas State career records for scoring (2,333 points), rebounds (1,087), double-doubles (52), field goals made (935), field goals attempted (1,913) and minutes played (4,141).
Wecker will pursue Master's of Education with an emphasis in intercollegiate athletics administration.
• Paris Leads Wade Trophy Candidates
Oklahoma senior Courtney Paris leads the 25-member list of State Farm Wade Trophy preseason candidates, announced Tuesday by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). The Wade Trophy is presented to the NCAA Division I women's college basketball player of the year.
Paris has been a finalist for the award the past two seasons and, along with Maryland seniors Marissa Coleman and Kristi Toliver, is making her third appearance on the preseason watch list.
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PURCHASE OU BASKETBALL TICKETS
Single-game tickets for the nationally-ranked OU men's and women's basketball teams go on sale Wednesday, Nov. 19.
Tickets will first be available online at SoonerSports.com at 12:01 a.m. Phone orders begin at 8 a.m. via the OU Athletics Ticket Office at (405) 325-2424 or toll-free at (800) 456-GoOU. If supplies remain, walk-up sales at the ticket office begin at 10 a.m.
The ticket sale includes men's games against USC, Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma State and women's games against Texas A&M, Texas, Baylor and Oklahoma State.
Men's basketball single-game tickets start as low as $10 each while women's tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for youths.
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OU Basketball Single-Game Ticket Sale
Wednesday, November 19  First available at 12:01 a.m. online at SoonerSports.com, Then available at 8 a.m. by calling (800) 456-GoOU or (405) 325-2424, Then available at 10 a.m. for walk-up sales at OU Athletics Ticket Office (if tickets remain) |
Family Packs will be offered for all men's basketball non-conference games excluding the NIT.
• $10
• Includes a hot dog, drink and a t-shirt
• Minimum order of four
• Subject to availability
Secure Your Tickets Now (before the sale)
Season tickets are still available for men's and women's basketball: order online or call the OU Athletics Ticket Office at (405) 325-2424 or toll-free at (800) 456-GoOU.
The "Pick Your Own" Mini Pack is still available for men's basketball:
• Includes 7 games for $79
• Choose one premium game (Texas, Kansas or Oklahoma State)
• Choose three non-conference games
• Choose three conference games
Want better seats for your mini pack? Buy the Prime Mini Pack for $149.
• The same great features but in better seats
Have a group of 10 or more? Group ticket packages starting at $10 are offered for men's basketball. Women's basketball group tickets start at $5 per ticket. View more information on the group tickets page at SoonerSports.com.
OU Athletics Ticket Office
The OU Athletics Ticket Office is located on the plaza level of the Asp Avenue Parking Facility, immediately west of the Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. A limited number of metered parking spaces are available on the second floor of the parking facility and on Asp Street for customer use. The OU Athletics Ticket Office handles ticketing for all OU athletics events and is open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. | Map to Ticket Office
Phone (405) 325-2424 or toll-free: (800) 456-GoOU
Fax (405) 325-8500
Email outickets@ou.edu
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