Women's Hoops Hosts West Virginia Saturday in Big 12 Clash

Saturday, February 4

Norman

2 PM

University of Oklahoma

West Virginia

Tickets

Women's Hoops Hosts West Virginia Saturday in Big 12 Clash

February 03, 2023 | Women's Basketball

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By: OU Athletics Communications

NORMAN – No. 20 Oklahoma closes a two-game homestand on Saturday when it plays host to West Virginia at 2 p.m. at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman. The Sooners enter game 11 of the 18-game Big 12 slate in a tie for second place in the conference standings and seek the second consecutive sweep of WVU under head coach Jennie Baranczyk.

The game will air on ESPN+ with Chris Plank and Dan Hughes on the call. Saturday's game is a Crimson Out, and the Sooners encourage all fans to wear crimson. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive a crimson shirt from Oklahoma Shirt Company.

THE STARTING FIVE

Oklahoma is one of two schools (Vermont) in Division I to start the same starting five in every game this season. The Sooners have let Nevaeh Tot, Ana Llanusa, Madi Williams, Taylor Robertson and Liz Scott hear their names called before each contest. The five have combined for 467 career starts, and each player has a winning record as a starter. The experience is highlighted by Taylor Robertson's 138 starts and Madi Williams' 129. Robertson needs just three more starts to break Danielle Robinson's program record of 140.
The Sooners have the country's No. 3 scoring offense, pouring in 86.1 points per game powered by a 20.4 assists (3rd NCAA) per game. The Sooners' 1.27 assist/turnover ratio ranks 14th nationally as the Crimson and Cream's 9.0 3-pointers per game are ninth most in the country. The Sooners have scored at least 88 points 12 times this season, five of which came vs. Big 12 teams.
Oklahoma is one of two schools in the country to have to active 2,000-point career scorers in Madi Williams and Taylor Robertson, who both eclipsed the milestone this season. Iowa joined Oklahoma in Club 2K on Dec. 29, 2022.
A projected first-round WNBA draft pick in the latest ESPN mock draft, Madi Williams has piqued the interest of scouts all over the nation. She is the only player in the country to average at least 16.0 points. 6.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists while playing 26 MPG or less. One of the most efficient players in the country, Williams' player efficiency rating of 31.4 is the highest of her career by over eight points, and she ranks inside the top 15 nationally in field goals made per 40 minutes (10.3). After making just 30 3-pointers in her first three seasons in Norman, Williams has sunk 58 treys in the last two years. She is the nation's only player to average 26 points, 10 rebounds and four assists per 40 minutes this season.
The leading candidate for Big 12 Sixth Player of the Year again this season, Vann is the only player in the country to average 10.5 points and 7.0 rebounds without a start this season. Her 12 games of double-digit points are the second most in the country among bench players

SERIES HISTORY

Saturday marks the 25th all-time meeting between Oklahoma and West Virginia, with the Sooners holding a 15-9 advantage. The Sooners lead the series 7-3 in Norman, claiming two of the last three meetings at LNC.

The Sooners pulled away late from the Mountaineers in Morgantown, winning 98-77 to mark the team's fifth straight win in Morgantown.

KNOW YOUR FOE

Saturday is a pivotal conference game for both teams, as WVU (14-6, 5-4) looks to bounce back after a 13-point loss to Texas on Wednesday. The Mountaineers have won five of their last seven, including wins over Baylor and K-State that earned them votes in the Jan. 16 AP Top 25 poll. One of the nation's best defenses, WVU allows just 58 PPG (1st Big 12) and forces over 20 turnovers per game while coughing up just 13.4 turnovers a night, good for a 7.25 turnover margin (7th NCAA).

LAST TIME OUT

The Oklahoma women's basketball team set a program record for points in regulation during a Big 12 conference game, as the Sooners cruised to a 101-78 win over TCU on Tuesday night in Norman. The 20th-ranked Sooners (17-4, 7-3) led for nearly 38 minutes and had five players score double figures in the win. Taylor Robertson, who broke the NCAA 3-point record on Saturday, was honored after the game, and Madi Williams had a season-high 26 points on an efficient 9-of-12 shooting performance.

UP NEXT

The Sooners hit the road for a two-game trip that starts Feb. 7 at Baylor. The Bears knocked off Oklahoma earlier in conference play, 81-70, at Lloyd Noble Center.The road trip continues Sunday, Feb. 12 in a nationally-televised game at Kansas State. Tip is set for 1 p.m. on ESPNU.