Sooners Host Undefeated UNLV in Norman on Saturday

NORMAN – Oklahoma will look to stay unbeaten at home on Saturday at 2 p.m. when it hosts undefeated UNLV at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman. The Sooners (6-2) and Lady Rebels (8-0) are both receiving votes in the AP and Coaches polls and both teams won their respective conference championships last season.

Saturday's game is OU's annual holiday game featuring the fan favorite Teddy Bear Toss. Fans are invited to bring new plush toys for the toss and during halftime, fans can throw their new plush toys onto the court, which will then be given to local children in need. The first 500 fans through the doors will get exclusive Top Daug Ugly Christmas shirts. Plus, there's $2 popcorn, 12 oz beers and 16 oz sodas available at the concession stands for fans to enjoy.

Doors to the arena open one hour before tip and the Lloyd Noble Center's clear-bag policy is in effect. Tickets for Saturday are still available for purchase for $5.

Saturday's showdown is the second of four December home games for the Sooners. Following OU's trip to Charlotte to take on North Carolina on Dec. 19, 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

Five different Sooners score in double figures, led by Aubrey Joens' 13.5 PPG. Oklahoma is one of two Big 12 teams to post a handful of players that score 10 points per game and is one of two teams nationally to do so among squads that have played eight or more games. OU's balanced attack makes it the only Power 6 team in the country to have 10 players average 4.0 PPG.
Oklahoma has won five in a row at home dating back to last season and has been victorious in 11 of its last 12 at Lloyd Noble Center. In the Baranczyk era, OU is 31-6 in Norman, highlighted by a perfect 17-0 record in non-NCAA tournament non-conference home games. The Sooners have only dropped two games to unranked teams overall in Norman and have won 18 straight at the LNC vs. teams outside the top 25.
A win on Saturday would push third-year OU coach Jennie Baranczyk to 250 career wins (192 at Drake, 58 at OU). Saturday marks Baranczyk's 364th 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.
If you want to see high-octane offense, then come to Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners are averaging 86.0 points per game (12th NCAA) this season and have posted 90 points in half (4 of 8) their games. Guided by a blistering pace of 82 possessions per game (5th NCAA), the Sooners are one of the nation's best and most efficient offenses.
The game serves as a homecoming for UNLV head coach Lindy La Rocque, who served as a graduate assistant under former OU head coach Sherri Coale in 2014 and 2015. While at Oklahoma, La Rocque helped the Sooners to a 39-27 record and two NCAA Tournament appearances. UNLV Associate HC, Roman Owen, is regarded as the best men's basketball player in Southwestern Christian (Bethany, Okla.) history. Owen was the video coordinator under Coale from 2013-15.

SERIES HISTORY

Saturday's showdown is the third between the Sooners and Lady Rebels, with the teams splitting the series 1-1 so far. The Sooners won the most recent meeting, a 96-85 win in Las Vegas in 1981. UNLV had knocked off the Sooners the year before in Norman.

LAST TIME OUT

All 10 Sooners scored and Landry Allen notched her first career double-double as OU ran away from Grambling State in Norman on Dec. 1, defeating the Lady Tigers 103-69. Oklahoma (6-2) buried 14 3-pointers en route to the second-highest scoring output under third-year head coach Jennie Baranczyk to snap a two-game skid and return to the win column.

UP NEXT

The Sooners travel to Charlotte, N.C., for their final non-conference game away from Norman on Dec. 19 when they'll take No. 24 North Carolina at the Jumpman Invitational. The game tips at 8:30 p.m. CT on ESPN2 and is one of OU's six nationally televised games.