Sooners Host No. 11 Iowa State in Marquee Matchup

NORMAN – One of the marquee games of the weekend, the Oklahoma women's basketball team returns to the national stage this Sunday when it hosts No. 11 Iowa State on ESPN 2 in a top-20 matcup. The 17th ranked Sooners look to get back on track in Big 12 play after dropping their last contest to No. 23 Baylor. The game will air on ESPN 2 with Courtney Lyle and Carolyn Peck on the call. On the Sooner Radio Network, Brian Brinkley will call the action.

Oklahoma boasts the nation's fifth best offense, scoring 87 points per game powered by a Big 12-best 20.4 assists per game. The Cyclones have the conference's second-highest scoring offense (79.7 PPG) and Sunday's matchup should be a high-scoring affair.

Tickets to Sunday's game are available through the Oklahoma ticket office.

THE STARTING FIVE

Madi Williams, named to the Wooden Award Midseason Watch List this week, enters Sunday's game on the cusp of history. The redshirt senior needs just five assists to become the first player in school history to eclipse 2,000 points, 850 rebounds and 300 assists in their career. Williams passed 2,000 points and 850 rebounds earlier this season to join Courtney Paris, Phylesha Whaley, and Molly McGuire as one of four OU players to hit those career marks.
Jennie Baranczyk has amassed four wins over top-25 opponents as the Oklahoma head coach. A win over the Cyclones would mark her fifth and allow her to reach five ranked wins faster than any coach in Oklahoma women's basketball history.
No. 11/11 Iowa State (10-2, 2-0 Big 12), who was picked in the preseason poll to win the Big 12, ranks 21st nationally in scoring (79.7 PPG) and leads the Big 12 in rebounding, narrowly in front of the Sooners. They rank last in the conference in 3P% defense (33.7%), steals per game (6.2) and turnover margin (-1.75). They're led by All-American Ashley Joens (19.5 PPG, 9.2 RPG), whose sister Aubrey is a guard for Oklahoma after playing two seasons at Iowa State.
Taylor Robertson enters Sunday's game 12 3-pointers away from breaking the NCAA 3-point record of 497 career makes, currently owned by Ohio State's Kelsey Mitchell.
This season, Madi Williams is the only player in the last 14 seasons of college basketball to average 17.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals while playing less than 25 minutes per game or less.

SERIES HISTORY

The Sooners and Cyclones have met 70 times since the two programs first met in 1977, and Oklahoma holds a 41-29 advantage. The Sooners have dominated the series in Norman, winning 25 of the 32 meetings, including six of the last eight. Iowa State swept the season series last year, knocking off OU in Norman 81-71 and by 22 points in Ames.

LAST TIME OUT

Oklahoma battled until the clock hit zero but fell to No. 23 Baylor 81-70 at Lloyd Noble Center Tuesday night, snapping the Sooners' eight-game winning streak and 6-0 start at home. No. 17 Oklahoma (11-2, 1-1 Big 12) trailed by 16 points after the first quarter but fought back, cutting the Bears' lead to just four at the break, but despite multiple Sooner runs, the Bears were able to hold onto the lead in the second half to claim the win.

UP NEXT

The Sooners hit the road again, heading to Lubbock, Texas, for a matchup with Texas Tech (12-3, 0-2). The game is slated for Wed., Jan. 11 at 7 p.m. at United Supermarkets Arena. The contest will be streamed on ESPN+.