Oklahoma Hosts SMU on Field Trip Day Friday

NORMAN – The 15th ranked Oklahoma women's basketball team continues its march through the non-conference slate Friday morning when it plays host to SMU, who is receiving votes in the latest USA TODAY WBCA Coaches Poll. The game airs live on SoonerVision on ESPN+ with Chad McKee and Tyler Neal on the call, with radio coverage on 1520 AM in Oklahoma City and 99.3 FM in Norman with Brian Brinkley calling the action.

Friday's game marks Oklahoma's annual Field Trip Day where over 5,000 elementary school students attend the game. Fans can sign up for ESPN+ and receive access to over 100 OU athletics events, including the bulk of Oklahoma's home schedule.

Season ticket holders and their guests do not need a ticket for entry on Friday morning.

THE STARTING FIVE

One of the best players to ever don the Crimson and Cream, Taylor Robertson is looking to hit another career milestone Friday. The sharpshooting guard needs 15 points to cross the 2,000-point threshold. She would become just the seventh Sooner ever to score 2,000 points in their career. In last year's meeting vs. the Mustangs, Robertson scored 19 points.
For the first time since 2017, Oklahoma appeared in the preseason AP Top 25 poll, debuting the season at No. 15. The Sooners were also ranked No. 16 in the USA TODAY WBCA Coaches Poll. The Sooners' ranking of 15th is the team's highest in the preseason poll since the 2013-14 squad opened the year ranked 11th. As one of the most dominant programs of the 21st century, Oklahoma has now been ranked in the top 15 of the preseason AP poll 10 times since 2000.
Second-year head coach Jennie Baranczyk will lead a roster that has combined to play over 700 career games, highlighted by Robertson (118), Williams (114) and Llanusa (83). The Sooners return all five starters from last year's NCAA Tournament team and six players from their bench, highlighted by Big 12 Sixth Player of the Year Skylar Vann. A freshman class of four and the addition of Iowa State transfer Aubrey Joens complete Oklahoma's 16-player roster.
Oklahoma went 25-9 in year one of the Jennie Baranczyk era, making the program's first NCAA Tournament since 2017. The Sooners hosted the first two rounds of March Madness for the first time in a decade, falling to Notre Dame in the NCAA Second Round. The improvement for Oklahoma women's basketball from 12-12 in 2020-21 to 25-9 in Baranczyk's first year marked the first time in program history for a first-year coach to improve by 10+ wins in their first season. The 13-win jump is the second-largest overall in program history, trailing only Cathie Schweitzer, who increased the team's win total by 16 between the 1977 and 1978 seasons.
In their last time on the floor, the Sooners set a offensive records and cruised to a 105-94 season-opening win over Oral Roberts. Baranczyk's team's 105 points where the most in her tenure and the Sooners' 38 first-quarter points were the most in program history.

SERIES HISTORY

Friday's contest marks the 15th meeting between the Sooners and Mustangs, with Oklahoma leading the all-time series 9-5, including 4-2 in Norman. Oklahoma has won five straight vs. the Mustangs, including an 84-72 win on the Hilltop last season in a battle of then-first-year coaches.

KNOW YOUR FOE

Under second-year head coach Toyelle Wilson, the Mustangs are receiving votes in the latest WBCA Coaches Poll and are 1-0. The Mustangs handled Alabama State in their opener, dominating en route to a 76-39 win in Dallas. Texas Tech transfer and Norman High School product Chantae Embry scored a team-high 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Savannah Wilkinson posted a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

UP NEXT

The Sooners hit the road for a Utah road trip next week where they'll take on (RV/RV) BYU on Nov. 15, followed by (RV/RV) Utah the following night. Oklahoma knocked off both teams in 2021, coming from behind to knock off both teams at Lloyd Noble Center.