Cyclones Next on Sooners' Radar

Feb. 16, 2012


	Whitney Hand

Oklahoma (17-8, 9-4 Big 12) vs. Iowa State (15-9, 6-7 Big 12)
Date & Tip Time	Saturday, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m. CT
Location	Ames, Iowa \| Hilton Coliseum
Tickets	Cyclones.com
TV	Sooner Sports Network via Mediacom Oklahoma City: KAUT Ch. 43 (COX 16, 714 HD) Tulsa: COX 3, 703 HD COX programming joins in-progress following H.S. State Swimming Championships
Radio	Sooner Sports Network \| Live Audio Oklahoma City: KOKC 1520 AM Norman: KREF 1400 AM Tulsa: KTBZ 1430 AM
Webcast	Cyclones.com
Live Stats	Cyclones.com
Game Info	Game Notes (PDF)

THE GAME PLAN
Oklahoma visits Iowa State for the second half of a Sooner basketball doubleheader Saturday, Feb. 18, in Ames, Iowa. The Sooner Sports Network will carry the Iowa State TV feed, with B.J. Schaben and Lyndsey Medders-Fennelly, calling the action, in Oklahoma. The game will be televised in the Oklahoma City area on KAUT-TV 43 (COX 16, 714 HD) and in Tulsa on COX Channels 3 and 703 HD. In Tulsa, the game will join in-progress following COX's live coverage of the Oklahoma State High School Swimming Championships.

The Sooner Sports Network radio broadcast with Chad McKee airs on KOKC 1520 AM and KREF 1400 AM in Oklahoma City and Norman.

PLAY4KAY ONLINE AUCTION
As part of college basketball's initative to raise awareness for cancer prevention, the OU women's basketball program is auctioning off 15 commemorative and game-used items from the Pack the Place Pink game via the official OU Athletics Online Auction.

All proceeds will be donated to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. Bidding ends on Monday, Feb. 20.

OU Tickets Available
• Season Tickets are available for as low as $114. Tickets may be purchased online at SoonerSports.com or by calling the OU Athletics Ticket Office at 1-800-456-GoOU.
• Single-game tickets went on sale to the general public Nov. 1. Prices are $15 for reserved seating, $8 for general admission adults and $5 for general admission youths and senior citizens. OU students receive free admission when presenting a valid ID.

The Teams
• Iowa State is 15-9 and tied for fifth in the Big 12 standing with a 6-7 record in conference play.
• Oklahoma is 16-8 and in second place in the Big 12 with a 8-4 record in conference play. OU is not ranked in either poll.
• OU beat Iowa State, 80-51, in the Big 12 season opener in Norman on Jan. 4, for the Sooners' sixth win in the last seven games of the series.

The Coaches
• Sherri Coale is 353-163 (.684) in her 16th season at Oklahoma. She has been named the Big 12 Coach of the Year four times.
• Bill Fennelly is 369-169 (.685) in his 17th season at Iowa State and 535-222 (.707) in his 24th season overall.

Next Game
• Oklahoma hosts the Big 12's second-place team, Texas A&M, Tuesday, Feb, 21, at 7 p.m. at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla.

Iowa State Projected Starters
No.	Name	Pos.	Ht.	Year	2011-12 Statistics
4	Nikki Moody	G	5-8	Fr.	9.4 ppg, 4.2 ast
5	Hallie Christofferson	F	6-3	So.	10.4 ppg, 6.0 rpg
10	Lauren Mansfield	G	5-7	Sr.	6.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg
23	Chassidy Cole	G	5-8	Sr.	1.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg
33	Chelsea Poppens	F	6-2	Jr.	14.7 ppg, 11.1 rpg

Oklahoma Projected Starters
No.	Name	Pos.	Ht.	Year	2011-12 Statistics
10	Morgan Hook	G	5-10	So.	10.4 ppg, 3.9 apg
24	Sharane Campbell	G	5-7	Fr.	9.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg
25	Whitney Hand	G	6-1	RS-Jr.	12.9 ppg, 6.6 rpg
42	Kaylon Williams	F	6-3	Fr.	3.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg
12	Jelena Cerina	C	6-5	Sr.	4.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg

PREVIEWING IOWA STATE
After starting 0-5 in conference play, the Iowa State Cyclones have climbed to fifth place in the Big 12 standings and are one of the league's hottest teams.

Thought the Cyclones still shoot 3-pointers to the tune of 7.0 makes per game, but, with only a 31 percent success rate, rely more on inside play than in recent seasons.

The Cyclones feature junior forward Chelsea Poppens, who averages 14.7 points and 11.1 rebounds. Poppens is the only Big 12 player averaging double-digit rebounds.

Sophomore forward Hallie Christofferson adds 10.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.

Freshman point guard Nikki Moody contributed 9.4 points and 4.2 assists per game. Moody is eight assists shy of matching Lyndsey Medders' ISU freshman record for assists. However, Moody had zero assists to four turnovers in a 66-47 win against Kansas last time out that put her into the negative in assist-to-turnover ratio (51 to 55) in Big 12 play.

Sooner to Watch
	Whitney Hand \| Jr. (RS) \| Guard Hand has averaged 17.8 points in OU's last four games, leading the Sooners in scoring in each as she's found a groove that has her shooting 43 percent from the field and 41 percent from 3-point range. Hand is 18 points shy of becoming Oklahoma's 26th player to reach 1,000 career points.

LADY LUCK FINDS HER GROOVE
Aaryn Ellenberg busted a seven-game shooting slump with an 11-point second half to rally OU past Kansas State on Feb. 15. "Vegas" was 16-of-75, and 4-for-30 from beyond the arc, during the span, and then missed her first four shots against Kansas State, including two 3's, before turning it around in the second half by making four of her last five, and two straight 3-pointers, to help the Sooners erase a nine-point deficit.

Part of Ellenberg's turnaround began on defense. In the seven games prior to her seven-game slump, the sophomore guard averaged 3.1 steals. During her shooting woes, she totaled just five. Three second-half steals against Kansas State helped turn things around.

COALE REACHES 500 VICTORIES
Sherri Coale reached her 500th head coaching win, at any level, against Kansas State on Feb. 15. Coale guided Norman High School to two state championships and a 147-40 record in seven years before becoming the Sooners' head coach. In the college ranks, Coale has 353 victories in 16 seasons.

MAGIC NUMBER IS 67
Oklahoma is 13-0 when scoring more than 66 points in a game. The Sooners are 4-7 when only reaching 66 or fewer. Iowa State is allowing opponents just 55.2 points per game (58.6 against Big 12 teams).

Additionally, in situational statistics, OU is 14-2 when its bench players outscore the opponent's bench, 13-2 when it has more rebounds, and 15-3 when it holds its opponent to 40 percent or fewer on field goal success.

TWO RECEIVE ACADEMIC HONORS
Oklahoma's Whitney Hand was voted to the Capital One Academic All-District 7 Women's Basketball First Team, announced Thursday by the College Sports Information Directors of America. As a first-team all-district selection, the Sooner co-captain will be eligible for consideration as an Academic All-American.Hand graduated with a 3.76 GPA in health and exercise science in December. The Sooners have had 13 Academic All-District women's basketball players under the 16-year tutelage of Sherri Coale. Four have been voted Academic All-Americans.

Both Hand and Joanna McFarland were also named to the Academic All-Big 12 Women's Basketball First Team for the second straight season.

TWO SOONERS ON NAISMITH WATCH
Sophomore Aaryn Ellenberg and redshirt-junior Whitney Hand were among the 51 women's college basketball players on the Naismith Trophy Early-Season Watch List released Nov. 29. Ellenberg has averaged 14.8 points for Oklahoma this season. Against Liberty, the 5-7 guard set an OU record by making a 3-pointer in a 23rd consecutive game, which extended to 29. Hand has totaled 12.9 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.

ELLENBERG, HAND AMONG SHARPEST SHOOTERS
Redshirt-junior Whitney Hand and sophomore Aaryn Ellenberg are closing on Oklahoma's top 10 career 3-point records. Ellenberg is No. 5 all-time with 151 career 3-pointers, trailing No. 4 Carin Stites by one. Hand is eighth all-time at OU with 138, trailing Sunny Hardeman by one.

CRASHING THE BLOCK PARTY
Sophomore Nicole Griffin is among OU's top 10 in both single-season and career blocks. The 6-6 center has 45 blocks this year (after just 26 her freshman season), which already ranks as they ninth best single season behind just two Sooners who own the top eight -- Courtney Paris and LaNae Jones.

Griffin's 71 career blocks also ranks ninth in OU's annals, currently trailing No. 8 Ashley Paris by 11. Griffin's nine blocks versus Texas (Jan. 21) were the most by a Sooner since Courtney Paris had 10 against Texas Tech on March 1, 2006.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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