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University of Oklahoma Athletics
Thursday, November 14
7:00 PM
University of Oklahoma
vs
Missouri State University
Photo by: Ty Russell
WNIT Semifinal at LNC Thursday
November 13, 2019 | Women's Basketball
NORMAN – The Oklahoma women's basketball team is set to host Missouri State in the Preseason WNIT semifinal Thursday. The game will tip at 7 p.m. CT inside Lloyd Noble Center.
Norman.
Fans are encouraged to #ArriveSooner to avoid delays into the gates with enhanced screenings. OU's clear bag policy will also be in efffect. For more gameday tips at Lloyd Noble Center, visit the LNC's information page.
Free t-shirts will be provided for the first 150 fans in attendance Thursday.
• The defense shone as the Sooners held UAB's Rachael Childress, the NCAA active career leader in 3-pointers made, to 0-for-6 shooting from beyond the arc. Llanusa also had a career-high eight steals in the contest.
• Williams notched her second consecutive double-double (points/rebounds) against the Blazers as she set a new career high of 24 points to go with 13 rebounds after a 14 points, 13 rebound effort against Prairie View A&M (Nov. 8).
• Friday's matchup will pit OU assistant coach Jackie Stiles against her former team. Stiles coached for the Bears for six years before joining the Sooners in the spring of 2019 and spent her collegiate career at Missouri State. Stiles, the most decorated student-athlete in program history,Stiles ranks third all-time with 3,393 career points. Stiles scored an NCAA-record 1,062 points during the 2000-01 season and was awarded the Wade Trophy and named the Honda Awards Player of the Year.
• The contest will be the eighth meeting between the two programs. OU leads the series 4-3 and owns a 3-1 mark in Norman. The Sooners have won the last two meetings with their most recent victory a 68-57 win in Springfield on Dec. 10, 2005.
Stiles was part of the Bears' run to the Sweet 16 last season as they upset Iowa State on their home floor in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Stiles led Missouri State to six consecutive postseason appearances, including berths in the NCAA Tournament in 2016 and 2019.
Stiles also played collegiately at Missouri State. One of the most prolific players in collegiate history, Stiles ranks third all-time with 3,393 career points. Stiles scored an NCAA-record 1,062 points during the 2000-01 season and was awarded the Wade Trophy and named the Honda Awards Player of the Year.
Stiles played a part in OU's most recent loss to the Bears on Dec. 16, 2000 in Springfield as Missouri State prevailed 69-61. Stiles, a senior at the start of her record-breaking season, had the game-high 25 points on 9-for-19 shooting from the field. She went 6-6 from behind the charity stripe and added six rebounds, two steals and two assists.
The defense shone as the Sooners held UAB's Rachael Childress, the NCAA active career leader in 3-pointers made, to 0-for-6 shooting from beyond the arc. Llanusa also had a career-high eight steals in the contest.
logged 20 points and 10 rebounds at SMU (Dec. 22, 2018) and posted 10 points and 11 rebounds against Texas Tech at home (Jan. 2, 2019).
Additionally, Williams' 24 points in the win over UAB were good for a career high for the sophomore. Williams' previous best mark was 22, set last season against the Blazers in Bimini, Bahamas (Nov. 22, 2018).
Veitenheimer, Robertson and Williams all made immediate impact as freshmen in 2018-19. Robertson saw the most minutes of any Sooner (1013, 33.8 per game) and along with Williams, started 29 of 30 contests. Veitenheimer saw action in all 30 games last season with 16 starts and her 76 assists were the fifth-most by an OU freshman in a single season.
Robertson averaged 14.3 points per game during her freshman season, knocking down an OU freshman record 105 3-pointers and finishing with a .467 clip from beyond the arc. The Big 12 All-Freshman selection ranked second nationally in 3-point field goal percentage and finished fifth in Division I with 3.50 3-pointers made per game. Robertson's 105 3-pointers in 2018-19 marked the second-most made in one season by a Sooner. She also posted an .889 free throw percentage, the third-best mark in OU single-season history.
Llanusa enters the season as a Preseason All-Big 12 selection after averaging a team-high 18.3 points per game and shooting .382 from the field last year. Despite missing 10 contests due to injury, Llanusa averaged 19.1 points per game during Big 12 play last season, which ranked third in the league. Her conference-game scoring average is the sixth-best by a Sooner since OU joined the Big 12.
The Choctaw, Okla., native scored 30 points three times against Big 12 foes in 2018-19, including a career-high 35 points at Iowa State on Jan. 19. Llanusa set a school record with six straight 20-point scoring performances down the stretch in Big 12 play.
OU will face Missouri State Thursday in the semifinals while DePaul and Oregon State square off on the other side of the bracket in Corvallis, Oregon. The Preseason WNIT Championship is to be televised on CBS Sports Network on Nov. 17. Should OU defeat the Bears Thursday, it will host the winner of DePaul-Oregon State on Sunday.
Missouri State comes in to Thursday's game with a 3-0 mark. Prior to the Preseason WNIT, the Bears upset No. 23 Minnesota 77-69 in Minneapolis in their season opener. Missouri State then routed Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 79-51 in the Preseason WNIT first round before holding off a late rally from Boise State 72-69 in round two.
The Lady Bears are off to their best start since the 1997-98 team won its first 12 games, while Amaka Agugua-Hamilton is the first MSU head coach on record to win her first three games on the sideline.
A loss to the Bears would conclude OU's Preseason WNIT run. The Sooners' next game would be Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 11 a.m. to host Stephen F. Austin. Wednesday's game is Field Trip Day, when over 2,000 students from local elementary schools will be in attendance.
ON THE AIR
The matchup will tip at 7 p.m. CT and air on KREP 99.3 FM/1400 AM in Norman and KOKC 1520 AM in Oklahoma City (Tune In Radio App) with Brian Brinkley announcing. Toby Rowland and Bryndon Manzer have the call on Fox Sports Oklahoma. Fans with proper cable verification can also stream the game on the Fox Sports Go app.TICKETS
Tickets for the exhibition start at $10 and can purchased at the OU Athletics Ticket Office (800-456-4668) and SoonerSports.com/Tickets. Lloyd Noble Center's north and east ticket windows will open at 5:30 p.m. on Monday.GAMEDAY BASICS
The Sooners host Missouri State in the Preseason WNIT semifinals Thursday at 7 p.m. CT. The contest will mark the eighth meeting between the programs. OU leads the series 4-3 with a 3-1 record inNorman.
Fans are encouraged to #ArriveSooner to avoid delays into the gates with enhanced screenings. OU's clear bag policy will also be in efffect. For more gameday tips at Lloyd Noble Center, visit the LNC's information page.
Free t-shirts will be provided for the first 150 fans in attendance Thursday.
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
• OU advanced to the Preseason WNIT semifinals by virtue of an 82-75 win over UAB in Sunday's second round matchup. The dynamic duo of Madi Williams and Ana Llanusa led the way for the Sooners. Llanusa poured in 25 points and pulled down eight rebounds while the sophomore Williams also set a new career-high with 24 points and 13 boards. Taylor Robertson added 17 points in the win.• The defense shone as the Sooners held UAB's Rachael Childress, the NCAA active career leader in 3-pointers made, to 0-for-6 shooting from beyond the arc. Llanusa also had a career-high eight steals in the contest.
• Williams notched her second consecutive double-double (points/rebounds) against the Blazers as she set a new career high of 24 points to go with 13 rebounds after a 14 points, 13 rebound effort against Prairie View A&M (Nov. 8).
• Friday's matchup will pit OU assistant coach Jackie Stiles against her former team. Stiles coached for the Bears for six years before joining the Sooners in the spring of 2019 and spent her collegiate career at Missouri State. Stiles, the most decorated student-athlete in program history,Stiles ranks third all-time with 3,393 career points. Stiles scored an NCAA-record 1,062 points during the 2000-01 season and was awarded the Wade Trophy and named the Honda Awards Player of the Year.
• The contest will be the eighth meeting between the two programs. OU leads the series 4-3 and owns a 3-1 mark in Norman. The Sooners have won the last two meetings with their most recent victory a 68-57 win in Springfield on Dec. 10, 2005.
ALL AROUND ME ARE FAMILIAR FACES
Thursday's game will pit OU assistant coach Jackie Stiles against her former team. Prior to her arrival in Norman in April 2019, Stiles was an assistant at Missouri State for six seasons.Stiles was part of the Bears' run to the Sweet 16 last season as they upset Iowa State on their home floor in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Stiles led Missouri State to six consecutive postseason appearances, including berths in the NCAA Tournament in 2016 and 2019.
Stiles also played collegiately at Missouri State. One of the most prolific players in collegiate history, Stiles ranks third all-time with 3,393 career points. Stiles scored an NCAA-record 1,062 points during the 2000-01 season and was awarded the Wade Trophy and named the Honda Awards Player of the Year.
Stiles played a part in OU's most recent loss to the Bears on Dec. 16, 2000 in Springfield as Missouri State prevailed 69-61. Stiles, a senior at the start of her record-breaking season, had the game-high 25 points on 9-for-19 shooting from the field. She went 6-6 from behind the charity stripe and added six rebounds, two steals and two assists.
LAST TIME OUT
OU enters Thursday's matchup following 82-75 win over UAB in the Preseason WNIT second round. Three players scored in double figures as Llanusa had 25 points and d pulled down eight rebounds while the sophomore Williams also set a career-high with 24 points and 13 boards. Taylor Robertson added 17 points in the win.The defense shone as the Sooners held UAB's Rachael Childress, the NCAA active career leader in 3-pointers made, to 0-for-6 shooting from beyond the arc. Llanusa also had a career-high eight steals in the contest.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE MADI W
Sophomore Madi Williams has had back-to-back double-doubles in OU's first two games of the 2019-20 season. Williams scored 14 points to go with 13 rebounds against Prairie View A&M (Nov. 8) before a 24-point, 13-rebound showing against two days later against UAB (Nov. 10). Williams was OU's last player to record consecutive double-doubles as she achieved the feat last season. Williamslogged 20 points and 10 rebounds at SMU (Dec. 22, 2018) and posted 10 points and 11 rebounds against Texas Tech at home (Jan. 2, 2019).
Additionally, Williams' 24 points in the win over UAB were good for a career high for the sophomore. Williams' previous best mark was 22, set last season against the Blazers in Bimini, Bahamas (Nov. 22, 2018).
WHAT'S BACK
OU returns nine letterwinners from last year's squad and bring back 82.2 percent of its scoring from last year's team - the highest percentage of any team in the Big 12 heading into the 2019-20 season. Key starters Tatum Veitenheimer, Robertson, Williams, Llanusa and Mandy Simpson are all back, and the Sooners will be one of two Big 12 teams (Texas Tech) that will return three players who averaged at least 10.0 points per game. Llanusa (18.3), (14.3) and Williams (11.6) all averaged scoring in double figures during the 2018-19 season.Veitenheimer, Robertson and Williams all made immediate impact as freshmen in 2018-19. Robertson saw the most minutes of any Sooner (1013, 33.8 per game) and along with Williams, started 29 of 30 contests. Veitenheimer saw action in all 30 games last season with 16 starts and her 76 assists were the fifth-most by an OU freshman in a single season.
Robertson averaged 14.3 points per game during her freshman season, knocking down an OU freshman record 105 3-pointers and finishing with a .467 clip from beyond the arc. The Big 12 All-Freshman selection ranked second nationally in 3-point field goal percentage and finished fifth in Division I with 3.50 3-pointers made per game. Robertson's 105 3-pointers in 2018-19 marked the second-most made in one season by a Sooner. She also posted an .889 free throw percentage, the third-best mark in OU single-season history.
Llanusa enters the season as a Preseason All-Big 12 selection after averaging a team-high 18.3 points per game and shooting .382 from the field last year. Despite missing 10 contests due to injury, Llanusa averaged 19.1 points per game during Big 12 play last season, which ranked third in the league. Her conference-game scoring average is the sixth-best by a Sooner since OU joined the Big 12.
The Choctaw, Okla., native scored 30 points three times against Big 12 foes in 2018-19, including a career-high 35 points at Iowa State on Jan. 19. Llanusa set a school record with six straight 20-point scoring performances down the stretch in Big 12 play.
THE PRESEASON WNIT
The 26th edition of the Preseason WNIT includes a field of 16 teams with a three-game guarantee for all participating teams. 2019 marks the fifth time the Sooners have competed in the Preseason WNIT, advancing to the championship game in their last appearance during the 2013-14 season.OU will face Missouri State Thursday in the semifinals while DePaul and Oregon State square off on the other side of the bracket in Corvallis, Oregon. The Preseason WNIT Championship is to be televised on CBS Sports Network on Nov. 17. Should OU defeat the Bears Thursday, it will host the winner of DePaul-Oregon State on Sunday.
PREVIEWING MISSOURI STATE
Missouri State comes in to Thursday's game with a 3-0 mark. Prior to the Preseason WNIT, the Bears upset No. 23 Minnesota 77-69 in Minneapolis in their season opener. Missouri State then routed Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 79-51 in the Preseason WNIT first round before holding off a late rally from Boise State 72-69 in round two.Missouri State comes in to Thursday's game with a 3-0 mark. Prior to the Preseason WNIT, the Bears upset No. 23 Minnesota 77-69 in Minneapolis in their season opener. Missouri State then routed Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 79-51 in the Preseason WNIT first round before holding off a late rally from Boise State 72-69 in round two.
The Lady Bears are off to their best start since the 1997-98 team won its first 12 games, while Amaka Agugua-Hamilton is the first MSU head coach on record to win her first three games on the sideline.
QUICK HITS
- The Sooners will be tested early and often during their 14-game non-conference schedule. OU's non-conference slate features at least seven matchups with teams that appeared in the postseason a year ago including three NCAA Tournament teams (Abilene Christian, Drake and UConn)
- As a part of the Preseason WNIT, the Sooners will potentially host nine home non-conference games prior to the start of Big 12 play, including 2019 NCAA Tournament teams Abilene Christian and Drake.
- OU is the only team in the Big 12 without a senior on its roster. The Sooners will be one of two league teams (Texas Tech) that will return three players who averaged at least 10.0 points per game. Llanusa (18.3), Robertson (14.3) and Williams (11.6) all averaged scoring in double figures during the 2018-19 season.
- Assistant coach Stiles was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 2016 in the same class as head coach Coale. Oklahoma joins Connecticut as the only Division I women's basketball programs with two WBHOF inductees on their coaching staff.
UP NEXT
Should the Sooners win on Thursday, they will host the winner of DePaul-Oregon State in the WNIT Championship on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. CT on CBS Sports.A loss to the Bears would conclude OU's Preseason WNIT run. The Sooners' next game would be Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 11 a.m. to host Stephen F. Austin. Wednesday's game is Field Trip Day, when over 2,000 students from local elementary schools will be in attendance.
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