Five Things to Watch: OU vs. UConn

By Andrew Gilman | SoonerSports.com

NORMAN, Okla. -- Five things to watch when the Sooners host Connecticut for Pack the Place Pink Night Monday, Feb. 13, at 8 p.m.

1. Play the Game, Not the Name
OU will play Connecticut for the 10th time, but the Sooners have never beaten the Huskies. If the Sooners are going to keep up with UConn, whose only losses came at No. 1 Baylor and in overtime at then-No. 3 Notre Dame, they need to forget about history and the impressive resume the Huskies carry. The Nos. 2, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16 and 24 ranked teams were all upset within the last four days. The games aren't played on paper and the team that plays for perfection for 40 minutes Monday night will walk away the winner.

2. Home Court Advantage
Expect a large crowd to look for a reason to cheer loudly against the Huskies. It's the Sixth Annual Pack the Place Pink Game -- an initiative to raise awareness for cancer prevention. Two seasons ago, supported by a loud fan base, the Sooners put a scare into Connecticut's NCAA-record winning streak deep into the second half. This year, OU has four players scoring 10 or more points per game at home and four with a 3-point percentage at 42 percent or more. The Sooners also have averaged 9.0 turnovers in their last two home games, half of its season-long rate of 18 per game.

3. The Scoreboard
OU is 12-0 when scoring 67 or more points. It may take at least that to get by Connecticut nation-leading scoring defense. The Huskies are allowing only 44 points per game this season.

4. Defending All Spots
Connecticut's individual numbers don't pop. There's not a Maya Moore or Diana Taurasi leading the charge. This group of Huskies shares the wealth in scoring, rebounding and passing. All five UConn starters average at least two field goals, two rebounds and two assists each per game and sixth man Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis contributes 14.0 points and 5.4 rebounds. Needless to say, any confusion by the Sooners on defensive assignments will be quickly exploited.

5. The Bench
OU has dominated this season when its reserves have played well. OU is 13-1 when its bench outscores the opponent's bench. Look for Sharane Campbell to continue her solid play off the bench. She is averaging 9.7 points per game and has scored in double figures in in six of her last seven games. Fellow freshman Kaylon Williams now has starter's experience and DaShawn Harden was a catalyst on both offense and defense in her limited time in OU's last game against Missouri.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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