Women's Hoops Faces No. 24 UNC at Jumpman Invitational

NORMAN – Oklahoma looks for its second ranked win of the season on Tuesday when it takes on No. 24 North Carolina at the Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte, N.C.

The Sooners (6-3) have played four games this year vs. teams ranked or receiving votes in the AP Poll and the matchup with the Tar Heels (7-4) will be OU's fifth. The game tips at 8:30 p.m. CT with Pam Ward, Debbie Antonelli and Myron Medcalf calling the action on ESPN2.

Tuesday's game is OU's only road trip in December and fans still have two chances to see the Sooners at Lloyd Noble Center in 2023. Following OU's trip to Charlotte, the Sooners return to Norman for a meeting with Southern on Dec. 22 and the Big 12 opener vs. UCF on Dec. 30. Tickets to the remaining December home games can be purchased for $2.

THE STARTING FIVE

A win on Tuesday would push third-year OU coach Jennie Baranczyk to 250 career wins (192 at Drake, 58 at OU). The game marks Baranczyk's 365th game as a head coach and she would reach 250 Division I wins faster than all but one Big 12 coach as Iowa State HC Bill Fennelly eclipsed 250 wins in 341 contests. Baranczyk celebrated her 200th win on Dec. 7, 2021 vs. Eastern Michigan in her ninth game as the Oklahoma head coach.
The Sooners have one of the most balanced offensive attacks in the country, led by four players that score in double figures and three more that average at least 6.0 PPG. Defending two-time Big 12 6th Player of the Year Skylar Vann leads the way with 14.4 points per game, while Aubrey Joens (12.2), Sahara Williams (11.4) and Payton Verhulst (11.3) all post double digit points.
Oklahoma will take place in the second annual Jumpman Invitational this week vs. North Carolina. The event, launched in 2022 and powered by Jordan, Novant Health and the Charlotte Sports Foundation, features four of the nation's premier Jordan brand schools in Oklahoma, Michigan, Florida and North Carolina. Oklahoma in the only school to be 2-0 at the event as both its men's and women's teams beat Florida at the 2022 event.
Oklahoma's bench is one of the most productive in the country yet again. Baranczyk has played six off the bench in every game this season and that bench is producing 34.6 points per game (4th NCAA).
In the last 15 years of OU women's basketball, Williams trails only NCAA double-double queen Courtney Paris (33, NCAA freshman record) and Madi Williams (7) for most OU freshman double-doubles.

SERIES HISTORY

Tuesday's game marks the fifth meeting all-time between the Sooners and Tar Heels and the two teams have split the series heading into the game. The Sooners knocked off UNC in Chapel Hill and then Honolulu in 2001 and 2002, respectively, while the Tar Heels defeated OU in Los Angeles (1997) and in Norman (2008).

LAST TIME OUT

Skylar Vann poured in a career-high 26 points, but UNLV pulled away late from Oklahoma to dispatch the Sooners 92-76 in Norman on Saturday. Oklahoma (6-3, 0-0) had rallied to even the score midway through the third quarter, but the undefeated Lady Rebels (9-0, 0-0) outscored OU 35-19 over the final 15 minutes, including a 21-11 advantage in the last quarter to win. Saturday's defeat snapped a 17-game home non-conference winning streak in the regular season that opened the Baranczyk era.

UP NEXT

The Sooners close their non-conference schedule on Dec. 22 when Southern comes to Norman. The game tips at 12 p.m. CT on ESPN+.