Oklahoma
Women’s Hoops Hosts Bedlam in Norman on Saturday – University of Oklahoma
It’s the final scheduled Bedlam battle between the two rivals who have played annually since 1975 (115 meetings), with tip slated for 1 p.m. CT on FOX with Tim Brando and Meghan McKeown on the call.
FAN INFO
Sooner Nation only has two more chances to see the Sooners at home – Saturday vs. the Cowgirls and next Wednesday (Feb. 28) vs. No. 5 Texas. Fans can purchase the exclusive rivalry pack and secure lower-level seats for both games for $15.
Saturday’s game is OU’s Crimson Out, and fans are encouraged to wear crimson.
Doors to the arena open one hour before tip, and the Lloyd Noble Center’s clear-bag policy is in effect.
THE STARTING FIVE
- The Sooners held strong at No. 23 in the AP Poll this week after splitting their ranked contests last week. The Sooners remained at No. 25 in the WBCA Coaches Poll on Tuesday. OU checked in at No. 28 in the latest NET ranking and is tabbed as a seven seed in the newest bracketology.
- The Sooners have built quite the resume for the NCAA Tournament as we approach March Madness. Oklahoma boasts a league-leading 13-2 record in the Big 12 and has four wins over top 25 teams (No. 12 Ole Miss, No. 10 Texas, No. 2 Kansas State and No. 21 Baylor). The Sooners boast a 13-6 record vs. Quad 1 and 2 teams this season in the NET. OU has played the 10th toughest schedule in the country.
- A win would mark Oklahoma’s 14th win in conference play, which would mark the first time since 2001 and 2002 that Sooners have won 14 Big 12 games in back-to-back years. It would be OU’s 40th regular season conference win under Baranczyk, the most league wins in a three-year stretch since head coach Sherri Coale won 40 from 2006-08.
- Skylar Vann (15.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG) and Payton Verhulst (12.0 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 4.0 APG) have starred for OU as the two have made strong cases for All-Big 12 honors. Vann, the league’s only two-time Sixth Player of the Year, is having a career year and has posted 19 straight games of double-digit points. Verhulst is riding the best stretch of her career as the guard averages 15.0 PPG (40% 3P%), 6.7 RPG, 6.0 APG and 2.0 SPG in February.
- If you want to see one of the fastest and most prolific offenses in the country, then come to Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners are averaging 77.4 points per game (26th NCAA, 3rd Big 12) this season and have posted 90 points six times (2nd Big 12) this season. Guided by a blistering pace of 76.5 possessions per game (10th NCAA), the Sooners get up and down the floor faster than most.
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday marks the 116th edition of Bedlam. Oklahoma owns a 68-47 series advantage over Oklahoma State, including a 36-15 record in Norman, where OU has won the last two contests. The Sooners have won five straight over the Cowgirls and are 2-0 in Norman under Baranczyk.
OU’s 68 wins over the Cowgirls are the most for Oklahoma vs. a single opponent. After OU won 25 of the 21st century’s first 26 meetings, the series has been hotly contested, with the OU holding a narrow 15-12 advantage over the last 27 contests.
Saturday’s meeting is the final scheduled contest between the two as Oklahoma moves to the Southeastern Conference in 2024.
LAST TIME OUT
Skylar Vann scored 22 points, and Lexy Keys and Sahara Williams each added 17 points to help No. 23 Oklahoma beat Cincinnati 95-87 on Tuesday night. Oklahoma (19-7, 13-2 Big 12) bounced back after losing for the first time since Jan. 10, ending a nine-game winning streak on Saturday against No. 24 West Virginia.
With the win, Oklahoma, who leads the Big 12, has clinched a top-four seed at next month’s Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship, guaranteeing it a double-BYE in the bracket. Oklahoma scored the opening seven points of the game and never trailed against Cincinnati — leading by as many as 22 points with 4:22 left in the third quarter.
UP NEXT
The Sooners stay in Norman for a matchup with No. 5 Texas on Wednesday (Feb. 28) at 6 p.m. OU knocked off the Horns earlier this season, 91-87, in Austin.
The game will showcase two of the league’s top three teams as Texas enters the weekend one game behind the Sooners in the standings.
Keeping the attention of third-graders can be difficult, but a new initiative at Oklahoma City Public Schools is captivating students.
“Third grade does Oklahoma history. And we wanted to focus on a part of our city that our students may not know the history about, which is Deep Deuce,” said Theresa Fout, with Oklahoma City Public Schools.
The Oklahoma Hall of Fame’s “Oklahoma Originals” was created to teach students about impactful people from the state.
“This program first started as a rural program, an opportunity for us to reach out to underserved communities,” said Jorge Chavez. “Currently focusing on Ralph Ellison, a very notable author, worldwide known.
Students listened intently to the acclaimed author and his childhood in Oklahoma City.
“Learn about reading and writing, and we learn about the book ‘Invisible Man,’” said one third-grade student.
Ellison’s award-winning book, The Invisible Man, challenged the students to write about a time when they felt invisible. There was also a magic art creation, and each student left with their very own Ralph Ellison book.
“This is a great way for us to just connect directly with each school here in Oklahoma City,” said Chavez.
GOODWELL, Okla. (KOKH) — First responders in Guymon are mourning the loss of one of their own following a fire on Friday.
Around 5:15 a.m. on Friday, firefighters from Goodwell, Guymon, and Texhoma responded to a 911 call about a house fire in the 300 block of Aggie Avenue in Goodwell.
When they arrived, fire crews spotted heavy fire and smoke coming from the front door and windows of the home.
Goodwell firefighters were able to enter through a bedroom window and get to a person trapped inside the home.
Once out of the flames, Guymon paramedics started lifesaving care and realized the patient was one of their own.
The individual was identified as 49-year-old Steven Coen.
Coen was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.
“Steven is a member of the Guymon Fire Department and is an active EMT on the department’s EMS Division”, said Guymon Fire Chief Grant Wadley. “This is a huge loss for our department, community, and area.”
Coen had been heavily involved in the EMS Division in Guymon for the past 10 years and was even scheduled to work this weekend.
He also worked as an EMT in Hooker.
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The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
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